In the Warden's clutches
by Maxaro
Summary: Three-shot. Chained up and trapped, Leblanc had no idea what was going to happen to her. Her mission to the Shadow Isles had failed in the most spectacular of ways, and the only thing she knew for sure anymore was that whatever the one who had abducted her was planning, it would surely end badly. Thresh, however, disagreed. What he had in mind was both good AND bad...
1. Chapter 1

**Chains of terror**

 **AN: First fic of mine in this fandom... let's see how it goes, yeah? This is a two-shot and the second chapter will be published sometime in the next few days, most likely. The "inspiration" (I don't know what else to call it *shrugs*) for this story comes from five sources, and I'd like to extend a thank you to all of them, regardless of whether or not they actually read this story.**

 **Sereni T. Vendrakaia. crazyLantern. Wild But Innocent. short muses. I thank all of you for providing good Thresh stories in this very much Thresh-lacking corner of FF. It saddens me to see that both Vendra and Wild have removed their stories, but I'll make sure to remember them. They're far to well written to be forgotten.**

 **I "dedicate" this story to you five and I hope I've written Thresh as well as you all have. I considered writing about one of the pairings you all like, but I decided against it in the end. I didn't want to infringe or your territories after all~.**

 **Now, without further adieu, please enjoy.**

The sound of metal chains being dragged across a stone floor was what finally roused Leblanc from her slumber, her eyes shooting open as she instinctively tried to move her limbs, only to find her arms completely immobilized by the cold iron chain wrapped around her wrists. Her legs were free, but she could hardly move them either as she was nearly suspended in the air by the chains, forcing her to stand on her toes lest she risk pulling her arms out of their sockets.

Blinking away any tiredness out of her newly opened eyes, the deceiver looked around the room she was located in, trying to figure out just where the hell she was. The first thing she noted was the spartan appearance of it, with little in the way of furniture or color. Matted, gray stone met her gaze from both the ceiling, walls, and floor, the only excuse for a window in the room being a small square hole high on the wall to her left, barred by iron poles. On the furniture front, the only thing she could see was an ancient looking, wooden slab attached to the wall, presumably what was supposed to pass for a bed.

 _'A cell...'_ Leblanc thought grimly as tried to look behind herself, stretching her neck out until it began to hurt. There she was met with a heavy looking iron door, just a slightest shade lighter than the walls it was inserted in. A sigh passed through her soft, purple colored lips, her limbs going limp as she forced herself to relax. There was no point in exhausting what strength she had in them after all. Leblanc knew she would need it all if she were too escape this _situation._

The chains on her wrist, she could tell, were enchanted somehow, cutting off her connection to her magic, meaning that trying to teleport out of her restraints like she had done so many times before would be impossible. The chains also felt like they were slowly draining away what strength she had in her body, if the cold, numbing feeling spreading through her arms was anything to go by. Even though she loathed to admit it, the deceiver knew she was trapped, and quite securely at that, so she had little choice but to resign to her fate at the moment and relax her tired limbs as she thought of an escape plan.

However, just as her body had begun to unwind slightly, Leblanc suddenly felt her blood run cold as the sounds of chains once again filled the small cell, only becoming louder and louder until they stopped momentarily, becoming replaced by the sound of the iron door leading into her cell being opened and subsequently closed. The scraping of the chains she had heard before was now changed to clirring as the owner of said chains slowly moved about the room until the deceiver could finally lay her eyes on them.

There was only one person, or _being_ rather, that Leblanc knew of who loved chains, as well as the only one who might have easy access to enchanted, strength and _soul_ leeching ones. It was someone anyone with any shred of sanity feared, and someone Leblanc hoped she would never have to meet outside the fields of justice.

"Thresh..." Leblanc bit out through clenched teeth, feeling confident she buried any trace of fear in her voice. "What is the meaning of this? Why have you taken me here? Where am I?"

The deceiver's questions were met with nothing more but a dark, maniacal chuckle at first as the chain warden himself continued to walk around the small cell he had been _generous_ enough to provide for her, his every movement causing the chains covering his form to clirr against one another.

"Oh you'll know soon enough, my dear, but let's not get too hasty here. Before I answer any question of yours, you'll be answering some of mine, whether you want to or not." Thresh's tone was just as haunting as Leblanc remembered it, the cold echo within it causing cold shivers to ascend her spine.

She wanted to refuse any demand of his and not give away anything, but she knew that was a futile effort. It was like he had said, Thresh was going to find out everything about her even if she never breathed a word to him, regardless of what torture devices he used on her. The deceiver knew her mental fortitude was strong enough to withstand any physical torture method ever devised by man, she wouldn't have been Noxus' most experienced spymistress otherwise, but Thresh was no _man_. He was a spectre who loved everything about seeing his victims writhe in agony beneath his steel. He was a master at the art of _breaking_ people. He was unmatched in getting everything he wanted out of a person. And, finally, he was a soul collector.

That's why Leblanc knew that she wouldn't be able to stay silent. If Thresh ripped the soul from her body, he would learn every single thing about her. About the things not even Swain himself knew. While she knew she could control her tongue, the deceiver doubted her soul would stay as silent.

With a pained and defeated sigh, Leblanc hung her head, feeling nothing but contempt for the spectral reaper standing behind her. "What... do you want to know...?"

What passed for a smile made its way onto Thresh's skeletal features, and another dark chuckle made its way out of his non-existent throat. "There, isn't that better? Things are so much easier when everyone cooperates, don't you think, my dear? Significantly less fun for me, of course, but easier nonetheless."

Letting his scythe fall into his waiting palm, Thresh made his way around the room so he once more faced the dark haired spymistress, giving her scantly clad form a long look. He could guess Leblanc's chosen attire was used quite often against more hotblooded people to great effect, but against him it was useless. He was long past the point of being swayed against his own will by a busty wench and her alluring charms, though he made no effort to hide that he could very much appreciate the frankly gorgeous woman chained up before him.

While Thresh never let any of his more base or downright carnal desires drive and control him, he still had them, and the phenomenons of arousal or attraction were not lost on him. Leblanc was an exceedingly beautiful woman, much like the other two renowned, female denizens of the Shadow Isles, the spider queen Elise and Evelynn the widowmaker, both of whom he had at many points met up with for _pleasurable_ _encounters_ , and Thresh had nothing against acknowledging that. Both in life and undeath, he was a man who appreciated beauty in all forms, and Leblanc's curvacious, purple lace clad body was one of the very _definitions_ of the word _beauty_ in his mind.

Another sigh emerged from in between Leblanc's lips as she lifted her head slightly to send a hateful glare at Thresh. "What. Do. You. Want." She bit out slowly but impatiently, fighting against the frustration and anger coursing through her veins. She needed to stay calm if she planned on actually surviving this encounter with the chain warden-!

Without warning, Leblanc felt her chin be grabbed tightly and her head was forced to tilt upwards, even as the hand on her chin pulled her forward slightly. She was now face to face with the skeletal mask Thresh used for a face, and the green flames enveloping it lapped against her pale, unmarred skin.

The ghostly fire didn't burn however, it merely caused her to feel even more uneasy, like something was eating away at her very being. Thresh's features were seemingly smiling, but the aura Leblanc could feel expelling off of him was anything but happy or friendly.

"My dear, what did I just say about being hasty? And where is that tone of yours coming from? Right now, you are in no position to be making any sort of demands, and if I hear anything but politeness or screaming out of you I'm going to make sure you regret it. _Dearly."_ The absolutely _murderous_ tone echoed within Thresh's voice made a cold, terrified shiver pass up the deceiver's spine, genuine fear creeping into every fiber of her being, and the cold steel of the scythe-blade pressed against her midsection did nothing to help either. "I've already been generous by _not_ killing you or begun torturing you, but do _not_ test me. I can, and will, show you pain like you never thought possible if you don't keep that tongue of yours in check. Have I made myself clear?"

"Y-yes... I understand..." Leblanc stammered out slowly, nodding her head as best she could in Thresh's cold grip. She was a proud woman, one of the most feared people in all of Noxus, the leader of the Black Rose, but even as prestigious as she was, Leblanc knew when to listen and not question. Her pride could get herself killed and most likely worse, and, although her real age was far older than her appearance suggested, Leblanc felt no desire to tempt fate in a situation like this.

A new, slightly less sadistic smile emerged on Thresh's features and he released his grip on Leblanc's throat, taking a small step back, returning his scythe to the sheath on his side with some form of mystical power as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Good. Now then, lets get started with some questions, shall we? I will ask you one question, which you _will_ answer truthfully," the threat 'hidden' within his words was not one that Leblanc missed, and while she was an expert at lying, she doubted heavily she could get _anything_ past Thresh at this point, "And then you may ask one yourself. Does that sound good to you, my dear?"

Leblanc began to part her lips to speak up, but Thresh merely kept going like he hadn't asked something of her at all. "Splendid. My first question is quite simple; what is your current reason for visiting the Shadow Isles? Or, if you would prefer to answer it this way; what is your current _mission_?"

For a moment, Leblanc said nothing, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, before meeting Thresh's expectant gaze. "I am here on orders from the grand general of Noxus to scout out a possible mounting point for a potential invasion. I was to gather as much intelligence as possible, either by simply investigate the terrain of the coastline or by interrogating any of the residents here."

Now it was Thresh's turn to be quiet, his features becoming neutral as he apparently mulled over the information he had just received. It didn't last long, though, and, when he spoke up again, Leblanc couldn't hear any discernible shift in his tone.

"Interesting. Very interesting. Mordekaiser will surely want to hear this, though whether or not I will tell him is a completely different matter."

A beat of silence passed between the two beings after Thresh finished thinking out loud, the quiet only being broken slightly by the unnatural sounds coming from both inside the very fortress they were in and seemingly from the Isles themselves.

After almost two full minutes had passed, the quiet was broken fully by Thresh sighing before conjuring a throne of an uncountable number of chains held together with a dimly glowing, green light which he sat down on, resting his arms on the armrests while he leaned back.

"My dear, this is the part where you may ask _me_ a question. I don't have all day, so please don't waste my time. You don't want to be around me should I become _bored_."

Once more, the threat within the reaper's words was noted by Leblanc. "Why am I being held captive if you're not planning on warning Mordekaiser about the possible invasion?"

"Ah, the answer to that is a simple one," Thresh started with a chuckle. "I enjoy having you as one of my _wards_. You're a very interesting woman, my dear, even more so than even your fellow mages, so I decided to _collect_ you when you were foolish enough to set foot on these Isles." The tone in which the spectre spoke was calm and collected, but still it managed to make Leblanc feel uncomfortable. From what she had heard, those who Thresh considered _persons_ _of interest_ didn't tend to live very happy lives. Or _live_ at all for that matter.

Tales of how the chain warden stalked those who he found interesting until they were driven mad with fear, at which point he killed them and took their souls were told all of over Runeterra, and Leblanc was no stranger to them.

However, considering that she was still very much alive and breathing, along with almost unharmed, the deceiver allowed herself a small, almost microscopic amount of hope that she might survive this encounter.

"Second question; what does Swain, or Noxus as a whole, want with the Shadow Isles?" The quiet, rhythmic clicking of his gauntleted fingers hitting his chain-throne heralded Thresh's next question. Unfortunately though, it was one Leblanc couldn't answer.

"I don't know."

One of the eyebrows on Thresh's mask like face rose slightly, prompting Leblanc to expand on her answer.

"None of the generals or Swain have told me the reason for why I was sent here beyond that I was searching for information for an invasion, and my spies haven't been able to find anything on the subject either. At the moment, I know as much about this invasion plan as you do."

Just like before, Thresh went silent momentarily, letting the unsettling feeling already engulfing Leblanc to fester a little longer as she had no idea whether or not the reaper would actually accept her answer.

"If anything, that makes matters even more interesting..." he muttered quietly after a while as he gestured with his hand for Leblanc to ask her own question.

"Why are you interested in me? Do you intend to use me as leverage against Noxus?" As soon as her inquiry registered within his maddened mind, Thresh's features shifted into a grin once again and he began cackling while he stood up from his seat.

Suggesting that he would use someone as intriguing, beautiful, and special as Leblanc for something as pitiful as leverage was downright laughable to Thresh. It would almost be a crime to let someone like her go now that she was in his clutches, and Thresh was anything but a lowly criminal scum.

Still chuckling, the reaper walked slowly around his newest _ward,_ letting his 'eyes' roam all over the incredibly generous amount of delicate looking skin Leblanc's outfit showed off, his mind taking particular notice of her luscious, toned thighs. He wasn't planning on touching Leblanc in such a way, for even he, a spectral reaper, had boundaries, but he still milked all the enjoyment he could get out of the view before he spoke up again.

"Heh, listing all the things that make you fascinating would take far too long, but something in particular about you that I find both entertaining and almost endearing, _my dearest_ **Evaine** _ **,**_ are your attempts at secrecy and how big of an enigma you have become... in the eyes of everyone but _me_..."

The sound of her real name being uttered, and so casually at that, made Leblanc, or, more accurately; _Evaine's_ entire body freeze up and her eyes to widen noticeably. It had been _years_ since she heard _anyone_ say her name, and yet here Thresh was, using it with a tone so dripping with enjoyment Evaine almost found it funny how he wasn't stiff as a rod.

"Yes, my dear Evaine, I know your real name... and I know the name of the previous _deceiver_ too... I met with sweet Emilia in person even, before she died..." the spectre entered her view again and, despite her best efforts, Evaine couldn't keep the surprise off her face. "I've been around for far longer than you can imagine, Evaine. For centuries I've wandered Runeterra, expanding my collection of _interesting_ _subjects_ one by one, and during that time I've learned many things about this world we, or at least _you_ live in... souls cannot lie after all..."

Each and every time Thresh mentioned her name, Evaine felt a strange, unnerving feeling pass through her body, and considering that she'd been feeling unnerved ever since she woke up, that was really saying something.

"I... it's your turn to ask a question..." Evaine mumbled meekly, finding that the knowledge of Thresh's insight into not just _her_ life but also the life of her predecessor was harder to swallow than she could have ever predicted.

The reaper hummed in clearly pleased way at her words, his hand reaching out to gently cup her chin. The touch wasn't harming, but Evaine still instinctively shied away from it, both the feeling and mere presence of Thresh's cold, gauntleted palm creating a distinct leeching sensation within her. She looked up at spectre once her eyes refocused on what was actually happening before her, citrine meeting ghostly emerald.

"Thank you for reminding me, my dear. As it turns out, I only have one question left for you before we _move on,_ and it's a very simple one: Are. You. Afraid. Of. _Me...?"_ With every word that left his skull mask's ghostly 'lips', Thresh leaned slightly more forward, narrow an inch separating his 'face' from Evaine's as he finished, his hand now resting lightly on the delicate, pale skin of her cheek.

The answer to his question was easy, at least to Evaine, but she didn't want to admit it to him. She didn't want him to know just how much his very _presence_ disturbed and unnerved her. She didn't want him to have the upper hand in this.

 _'Though, he already has... and both of you know this... he's been in control ever since you set foot on these cursed Isles...'_ "Yes... you frighten me.." Evaine whispered as she looked away from Thresh's haunting gaze, cursing everything about her current situation.

"Really?" The spectre asked in a faux shocked voice, making Evaine purse her lips in frustration as she gathered up as much of her pride as she could before staunchly meeting his humored gaze once more.

"You said yourself that I couldn't lie to you..."

Her words brought an amused snort from Thresh's 'lips', his fingers still dancing gently over her cheek in a manner that seemed almost affectionate or even intimate to the deceiver.

"I did say that, didn't I? I'm glad you remember all the _rules_ of our little _relationship._ However, I'm not satisfied with your answer. I want more _details_... just what about me is it that instills terror into your heart, my dear...?"

Thanks to him being this close, Evaine could actually feel the spectre's breath ghost against her lips, and, without her consent, her tongue emerged from in between them for the smallest of moments, moistening the slowly drying flesh. It was a small relief to her that Thresh's breath didn't seem to have an ascertainable smell.

"Your appearance... and your reputation... those are the things about you that frighten me the most..." Evaine finally managed to mutter out, feeling the warden's spectral gaze delve deep within her own honeyed orbs, his intent surely being to see if she was lying or not. She didn't like having to cooperate with her 'caretaker' in any way, but considering how the situation looked at the moment, Evaine felt she had no choice in the matter. It was either heed Thresh's words, or she would be tortured until her soul willingly left her body.

"My appearance, huh? Do I really look that _monstrous_?" Thresh cackled lightly as he finally let go of her cheek and stepped back, Evaine being able to easily _feel_ the absence of his hand. "If that's the case, why don't I make myself look more... _presentable_? I wouldn't want you to get uncomfortable after all, my dear." With those words, the flames dancing behind the skull mask Thresh considered his 'face' began burning brighter than ever before, completely enveloping his features in a ghostly inferno.

Evaine couldn't do more than merely stare at the phenomenon occurring in front of her, absolute confusion reigning within her mind. Right before her eyes, Thresh's features completely vanished, and the previously raging fires around his collar began moving as if it was a thick substance, creating a new 'face' for the reaper.

Gone were the skeletal, almost static features of his mask, the flames coalescing into a seemingly human head with almost ashen skin and long, bone white hair done up in three separate ponytails. Striking, angular features and a sharp jawline took the place of the skull mask, multiple, prominent scars being the only thing that broke up the, at least in Evaine's mind, 'attractive normalcy' of Thresh's visage.

As the transformation finished, Evaine stared wide-eyed at the now human looking spectre, feeling a tingle of _something_ shoot up her spine when his brilliantly shining, immeasurably dangerous looking, emerald eyes opened and met hers.

"Now then," Thresh started once his face's 'configuration' was fully complete, his voice no longer possessing that ghostly echo it had before, instead sounding as smooth as silk, yet still as sharp as the scythe he carried. It too, just like his eyes, sent a tingling jolt up Evaine's spine as she couldn't help but stare in both wonder and awe at the 'new' reaper. "Would you say you prefer this _form_ to my other one, my dear Evaine? Or should I change back?"

The deceiver, for the first time in what seemed like forever to her, was completely speechless. She had had no idea that Thresh possessed an ability such as this, or that any undead _could_ even possess it. It seemed that he too was a shapeshifter in some aspects, just like her.

It took a moment before Thresh's question registered in her mind, and when it did, Evaine schooled her features to return to the neutral expression she was so used to upholding. "This one is far more pleasing to the eyes, that's for sure."

"Flatterer," Thresh chuckled, the small laugh sounding far less evil to Evaine's ears now that the dark echoing within it had seemingly vanished. "It has been quite some time since I last donned this appearance, at least around someone not a resident of the Isles. Fifteen years, give or take a few months, if my memory serves correct. Though, the last time I did look like this, I ended up slaughtering the entire population of a remote Ionian village, so I think you should consider yourself lucky, my dear, that you might be one of the few beings who have seen this side of me and lived... for longer than a day, at least."

Without the dark echo and the constantly glowing flames surrounding him, Evaine found it noticeably easier to stay calm in Thresh's presence. She didn't think for a second that she _wasn't_ still in mortal danger, but with the reaper's guise turning more human it made the whole situation become more manageable in a way. And Evaine wouldn't deny that Thresh was most certainly an attractive man, or at least _had been_ if this was how he had looked when alive.

Just like it had before, a silence began to fall over the two of them, Evaine finding the way Thresh was gazing down at her with those absolutely piercing emerald eyes of his more than a little distracting, especially considering her state of dress and the position in which she was detained in. She could feel the way his eyes roamed over her, taking in every minute detail that her curvacious, toned body showed off, but now that he looked so much more like an actual human, and a _dangerously_ handsome on at that, Evaine couldn't help but feel that Thresh's gaze was more... lecherous than before.

Now, thanks to her many years as a spymistress and seductress, Evaine was in no regard a stranger to lustful looks and lascivious offers, but the way that Thresh looked at her, like he was staring right through her almost permanent disguise and through the very flesh on her body, right at her _soul_... it wasn't like anything she had experienced before.

"What... what's going to happen to me? If you're not planning on using me against Noxus and just want to keep me here in your fortress, then what will happen? We both know I can't do anything about my fate at the moment, so I merely wish to know what's in store for me." Evaine finally asked, her voice calm and steady after they had spent some time silently gazing at one another.

Thresh chuckled again, albeit louder than before, as he moved up to stand just before his prisoner once more, his hand returning to her cheek for a moment before moving down to her chin and then her unmarred, almost inviting neck.

"I seem to recall having told you that you shouldn't be hasty, my dear Evaine, two times in fact. I have many things planned out for you, and they shall all be revealed in due time, but until then you're going to have to remain patient. Can you do that for me?"

 _'Do I even have a choice anymore...?'_ Evaine asked herself bitterly within her mind, though she already knew the answer to the question. "Yes..."

" _Good_..." Thresh practically _sang_ before snapping his fingers dramatically, causing the chains bound around her wrists to untangle themselves and recede into the roof of the cell.

Evaine barely had enough time to register what was going on before the cold stone floor rushed to meet her, and with her already sapped strength she would have surely bruised herself had it not been for the strong, yet cold arm wrapping around her waist. With a jolt, her swift descent was halted, and a huff of air escaped the deceiver's lungs as her breath left her momentarily.

It wasn't until now that Evaine realized just how much those leeching chains had taken out of her. Her whole body felt like it was twice as heavy as before and the sudden downward movement she had just faced left her weakened mind with a sense of vertigo. She almost didn't even have the strength to turn her gaze upwards to her smugly smiling 'savior'.

"It seems my chains have taken their toll on you, my dear. Let's get you to your new quarters before you collapse completely, shall we?" Thresh's abysmally gleeful voice only grated on Evaine's nerves, but with every second that passed she felt more and more strength leave her body, her muscles and brain catching up to the leeching done to her over the past few hours... or was it days? She didn't even know anymore.

The last thing the deceiver registered before her mind blanked out was the feeling of being lifted up, something supporting both her knees and her upper back, and the feeling of a surprisingly soft fabric pushed against one of her sides.

Along with a chilling, dual toned laugh...

XXX

Looking at herself in the large, full-body mirror before her, Evaine felt her head become filled with more questions than she could possibly hope to answer. She had awoken, again, in a large, immensely soft bed not long ago, but still she hadn't been able to figure out just what the hell had happened to her. Or for how long she had been unconscious for that matter.

The last thing she remembered was being picked up by someone after Thresh's power leeching chains had left her on the verge of collapsing, and then there was nothing. She had passed out, and the next thing she knew she had woken up in the aforementioned soft bed in a room as far from the prison cell she'd been talking to Thresh in as possible in terms of _class_.

The room she was in right now reminded her of what she'd seen inside rich Demacian noblemen's homes and Evaine couldn't help but wonder if she was even still on the Shadow Isles at all. Red and gold clad the walls, with furniture as lascivious as the color scheme being placed everywhere. The things that stood out to her the most was the full-body mirror she was currently standing in front of, on the left side of _her_ bed, and the ornate oak desk at the end of the very same bed.

With no way to accurately tell the time, Evaine wasn't completely sure how much time had passed since she had woken up, but her best guess was somewhere around 20 minutes, of which she had spent most of examining the room she was now located in, and the rest gazing at herself in the mirror. Because she was no longer in her standard, skin showing, purple _outfit_.

Someone, or some _thing_ , had dressed her in something new sometime while she had been unconscious, clearly having undressed her fully if the new, black lace set of undergarments she was wearing was anything to go by, and that thought alone made Evaine feel disturbed. She knew her body was desirable and that many wanted to see her bared, but never had something like this happened before in her life as a spymistress. When she had seduced someone in the past to get information, it had always been on her terms. That wasn't the case here.

She had had no control over what had happened to her body while she was unconscious, and Evaine hoped dearly that other than changing her out of her clothes, nothing had _happened_ to her.

Though... even with the circumstances, she wouldn't deny that the elegant, flowing dress she was now clad in was exquisitely beautiful, both in appearance and craftsmanship. Its color matched that of her old lingerie-esque outfit; a deep violet with silver and golden accents strewn about, the shade of the violet complementing her pale complexion almost perfectly. All along her leg, up to her thigh, was a long slit, showing off a generous amount of skin if she stood in a certain way, but otherwise the dress was actually quite modest, with a neckline that barely passed her collarbones as well as cloth flowing all the way down her arms, leaving the top of her shoulders exposed but nothing more.

Finishing off the outfit were the black stockings her legs were 'hidden' within, the material still thin enough to look very appealing to almost any eye that may gaze upon it.

Evaine couldn't help but feel that she looked truly _regal_ in the dress, though she was happy it was only in the appearance department. She had worn ballgowns many times before and she had detested every single instance of it happening thanks to how constrained she felt her movement became. That was not the case with this dress. It felt free and flowing, like it was a just a thin layer of air laid gently upon her skin.

The sound of the door to 'her' room being opened broke Evaine out of her reverie and she watched carefully as Thresh himself, his features still human, stepped through the doorway, his eyes locking with hers in the mirror. They were still just as striking as before.

"Thresh," she stated evenly, hopefully showing no signs of the fear and confusion coursing within her body and mind.

"Evaine," Thresh replied right back as he began making his way across the room, letting his fingers drag gently along the oak desk, creating a shallow furrow in it for a moment before it disappeared completely. "Did you enjoy your... let's call it a _nap_ , shall we?"

Evaine fought back a biting reply, deciding that she was still completely at the spectre's mercy and that merely playing along with him would make sure that her _stay_ in his fortress was less life-threatening. "I did, in fact. It was rejuvenating."

Her answer seemed to please Thresh, at least outwardly, and a smirk broke out across his ashen features. "Good, I'm glad you think so. Is this room to your liking, or would you prefer to return to your cell?"

Bit by bit, try as she might to stop it, Evaine started to feel her conviction crumble thanks to the immense confusion she felt. She was used to dealing with tough targets, people who were hard to _crack_ , but Thresh was like no one she had ever met before. The way he carried himself and spoke in such a condescending, yet charming and casual way was, even if she knew he wasn't strictly _human_ anymore, absolutely unreal. Evaine really had no idea just how to deal with the situation she was put in, or how to deal with Thresh himself. He was an unknown, in every sense of the word. She knew nothing about him aside from the stories she'd heard, nothing about his past or really anything about his personality, and, as far as she could see, he didn't have any strings she could pull either. Or at least not strings that would let _her_ control him rather than the opposite.

"Just what do you want from me, Thresh? Why are you keeping me here? Why am I _alive_ for that matter and what the hell is this room?" Evaine finally managed to ask, ignoring the reaper's question completely, her teeth grinding together as more and more questions made themselves known to her, each of them feeling like taunts from Thresh himself that he planted within her mind.

"My oh my, we really are impatient, aren't we, my dear? I've told you time and time again that you'll get your answers in due time, but it seems you have a real hard time getting that into your head," Thresh chuckled as he fully closed the distance between himself and the deceiver, his hands landing gently on the exposed flesh in between her neck and shoulders as he stood seemingly towering behind her, his emerald gaze drilling deeply into her own increasingly distressed and confused amber eyes. "However, since we both know just how _charitable_ and _providing_ of a _host_ I am, I'm going to throw you a bone, so to speak."

Instinctively, just like before, Evaine felt the urge to shy away from the reaper's cold touch, but she couldn't this time. Something was stopping her, though what exactly this _something_ was, the deceiver couldn't be sure of. Maybe it was as simple as curiosity, morbid or not, or just an immense thirst for any form of answer to her innumerable questions. Nevertheless, Evaine let Thresh's hands remain on her shoulders, his touch sending cold tingles of discomfort throughout her body just like it had before, trying to not give him any reason to _not_ tell her about his own reasoning.

"The main reason of why I've taken such an interest in you, Evaine, is simply because you're a fascinating creature. Both as a mage and as a person." Thresh began, his eyes remaining locked with hers in the mirror as his hands danced lightly over her exposed shoulders. "The souls of mages from all corners of Runeterra are things I search for every time I leave these isles, the magic sparking within their very essence being an addition to my _collection_ that I just cannot ignore even if I wanted to. And you, Evaine, have magic within you that is as intriguing and alluring as the flesh that contains it, and at the moment I do not wish to harm that magic by destroying its vessel; you. That's why I haven't killed you. Yet." The warden's smirk grew slightly wider and his eyes sparkled with obvious amusement. "And I do have a certain fondness for truly beautiful things, like you can see from your lovely dress. As for what exactly I _want_ from you... that remains to be seen. You might be useful in a way that I haven't yet thought of, but until then I am content just keeping you here on the isles as my _plaything..."_

Pearly white teeth bit down upon a soft, pink lip as Evaine felt a shudder pass up her spine at Thresh's words. The many suggestions his words held truly scared her in a way that she never thought possible. This wasn't at all like the mortal danger she put herself into every time she ventured out on a mission for the Black Rose, she had no control what so ever here. Her life, body, and _soul_ truly was in Thresh's undead grasp until she found a way to escape. The thought alone almost made her panic.

"I-if you touch me in any way, or if I don't report in, Noxus will come for you and the Shadow Isles. I'm too important to abandon, both you and Swain know this... you'll have an army at your gates within days..."

Her words were intended to be threatening, but Evaine knew that her tone had not been nearly confident enough to bring out anything even remotely close to _worry_ the warden. In fact, it had the opposite effect, as Thresh's smirk only grew until a maddened grin had completely twisted his once handsome features.

"Oh, I know. I know Swain would never want to lose someone as remarkable as you, my dear, but you see, if Noxus were to invade my home, then every man and woman among them would _die_. Screaming. While experiencing agony in ways they never knew existed." His tone was dark, truly menacing, and Evaine couldn't help it. She was terrified. "We who live on these isles are undead after all, my dear, and the only people who can as much as _hurt_ us are those with sorcerers' powers running through their veins, but even then they'll never truly banish us. For that you would need purifiers. Hundreds of them. And there aren't even that many left. I've personally seen to that." Thresh's grip on her shoulders tightened as he spoke, and Evaine had to bite back a yelp of pain when he didn't stop.

"If I wanted to, I could have you embrace death as happily as you would a loved one after I'm done with you, never forget that. You have _nothing_ at the moment, my dear, and I do _not_ enjoy being threatened. I'm keeping you alive because I _want_ to, not _need_ to, so this will be your last chance to keep that tongue of your under control. Otherwise I will make sure you lose it, along with some more _things_." If he kept going, Evaine was starting to fear that Thresh might actually crush her collarbones outright, so she nodded quickly to signify that she had fully understood him, like she had done before, and just like that, Thresh's grip loosened significantly.

His hands relaxed upon her shoulders again, merely gently resting atop them, and Evaine wasn't sure whether or not she actually found this _gentle_ Thresh to be more or less disturbing than his torturous, sadistic counterpart.

Questions about what he was planning on doing to her, or just _why_ she was here again danced on the deceiver tongue, but she didn't dare ask them. Not now. Any answer she got would most likely only make her even _more_ unsettled, if such a thing was possible, and right now, Evaine really didn't think Thresh was in a mood where he'd gladly repeat himself. So she decided to ask another question, one that she had pondered just as long as all the others in her head.

"Where are my old clothes? Why did you put me in this dress?" What had once been a proud, confident tone sounded meek even to Evaine herself, and she almost felt ashamed that it came from between her own lips.

Thresh smiled at her question, and for once it wasn't as cruel as usual.

"Your old unsightly excuse for an outfit has been disposed of, my dear. I just couldn't tolerate someone as beautiful as yourself walking around in something _that_ gaudy, so I decided to have you dressed in something more fitting for a woman of your elegance. Personally, I think you look downright breathtaking in that dress. It's been far too long since it saw use, and I can't think of someone it would suit better than you, my dear." He said honestly, visibly letting his eyes take in every minute detail and curve of her reflection in the mirror, though the manner in which he did it didn't feel perverted or lustful to Evaine, while one of his hands descended down her side until it reached her hip, making a new kind of tingle jolt through her already 'damaged' system. "Why, do you not like it?"

"No... it's... it's very beautiful..." Evaine too replied honestly, shaking her head slightly. The way Thresh called her beautiful was new to her, it sounded more... _sincere_ than she'd ever heard before, even if his tone wasn't what one would describe as _caring_. "I just... never expected _you_ of all people to own something like _this._

A small laugh emerged from the humanoid spectre's upturned lips, though it didn't sound as cold or dark has his previous ones, at least not to the deceiver. "I have a fondness for beauty, like I said before, and this dress is one that I've had in my possession for longer than you've probably been alive. It belonged to a Noxian like you, actually, if my memory serves me right, and I can't possibly count how many times I've found the vampire or she-spider in my home trying to steal it for themselves. Though they never succeeded, as you can guess."

"I see... were you the one who put it on me?"

"Do not worry, my dear, no one has touched you in the manner I imagine you fear," Thresh scoffed lightly, his hands finally leaving her body completely as he took a step back, letting Evaine turn and face him. "One of my souls took care of it, and they are as unfazed by desire as a being can be."

Relief flooded Evaine's body once those words had left Thresh's lips, and she couldn't help but let out a small sigh. "Thank you for that..."

Whatever expression Evaine might have expected Thresh to be wearing, the one that met her amber eyes when she looked up at him was certainly not it. His eyes had hardened, but not in a way that she would deem sadistic or even dark—they had become serious.

"Evaine," he started after a heartbeat of silence had passed between them, his voice as serious as his eyes, "I am many things, almost none of them good, but even a sadistic madman like myself has limits to what he'll do. You're right in fearing me, for I am nothing short of a monster, but I would never lay a hand on a person in _that_ way. I will never do anything to you or your body in such a manner, that, if anything, you truly have my word on."

"Really? Why? You enjoy suffering and pain, don't you? Why would something like rape of all things stop you?" The deceiver felt even more confused than before, if that was even possible.

Thresh didn't even attempt to suppress the snort that flew from his nostrils at her question, though he could understand just why she would be confused by such a thing.

"Breaking a mind, or a body, or a souls especially is a task I enjoy fully, yes, but I take no pleasure in engaging in such a depraved act as rape, my dear. I am not immune to carnal desires like lust, even as an undead, but to enjoy the act of sex I truly need to know my partner too is enjoying themselves, otherwise the exercise becomes pointless to me. It's a principle I've stood by ever since I was alive, and, truly, I do not recall the origins of it. Though I stand by it nonetheless. I can give no better answer than that, so you're going to have to settle should it leave you dissatisfied." The explanation was long-winded, even he himself could admit that, but on this matter Thresh didn't care. He wanted people to fear him for what he could, and would do, no what he wouldn't.

It took effort for Evaine to not let her mouth fall open, the warden's answer not being what she had expected at all. She was truly speechless for once, and not out of fear this time. Deep inside her heart, a small spark of something akin to respect actually shone for Thresh, Evaine noted even as she stayed silent, meeting the spectre's gaze with little issue. He still instilled immense fear and outright terror within her, that hadn't changed at all, but _this_ the deceiver felt she could actually respect, or even admire about him.

It was almost noble in a way, especially considering that Thresh _could_ without a doubt do whatever he wanted to a person once they were a ward of his. He still had _some_ morals, or something similar to morals, it seemed.

Evaine wanted to reply to him with _something_ after his answer, but she didn't have a chance as Thresh suddenly stepped forward until he was practically chest-to-chest with her. He said nothing at first, instead conjuring something in his palm that Evaine didn't have the chance to identify before she felt it clasp gently around her throat.

It was a choker, she realized quickly, and an ornately detailed one at that as she could feel once her hands rose up to touch it. It was dark gray, almost black in color, Evaine noted as she turned her head to peer over her shoulder at the new addition to her person in the mirror behind her, with dimly glowing, ghostly chains being the only things to break up the otherwise singular color scheme.

"What? What is this, Thresh?" She asked as soon as she recognized the object as a choker, meeting Thresh's gaze once more as he smirked down at her.

"Just something for both our conveniences, my dear," he replied simply enough, the seriousness in his tone having been replaced with his normal, condescending yet somehow charming one.

Evaine merely raised an eyebrow in question this time as he fingers continued to trace the carvings on the choker.

Then, without warming, she suddenly felt a tug in both the choker and her very _soul_ , urging her to move forward towards the reaper even more, her eyes quickly zeroing in on the spectral chain now connecting her neck to Thresh's gauntlet clad hand. She tried to grab onto the chain, but her hands just passed right through it, prompting a laugh from her captor.

"Don't bother, only those who can handle souls can touch these chains, and despite how in tune you are with your magic, my dear, you're not at that level just yet. And don't be worried, all I've done is make sure I can always find you, should you try to hide, and make sure you'll always know if I'm coming. It's a win for us both, don't you think?" Thresh laughed as he let the chain fade away into nothingness, making the tugging sensation in Evaine's chest thankfully disappear.

She hated to admit it, but the spectre was right. This _would_ help her if what he was saying was the truth and it would let her know when he was coming. It would let her, if nothing else, lessen her worries about what happened to her body when she was not awake.

"I suppose you're right..." Evaine was forced to concede as she lightly touched the choker once again, noting that touching the chains around it made a strange sensation erupt in the center of her chest.

Thresh smiled down at her once again, his emerald eyes holding that 'normal' glint of maddened enjoyment she had almost become used to. The thought alone made Evaine's whole body shiver.

 _'Becoming_ _ **used**_ _to Thresh is_ _ **not**_ _normal. It's not even sane! Snap out of it, Evaine!'_ She mentally berated herself for a moment before the tug in her chest made a return and she had to fight the urge to run head-long towards the door leading into 'her' room where Thresh now stood, ethereal chain in hand.

"I'm afraid that I must bid you adieu, my dear Evaine, I have some matters I need to attend to." He said as he tugged oh so gently on the chain, making the deceiver take a few shuddering steps forward, her clear confusion about what was going on making him smile even wider. "I suggest you get some more rest, my chains did drain a lot of your magic and strength before, and we wouldn't want you tired after all."

He turned to walk out the door, letting the chain fade away, his mind already starting to wander to what Elise could want with him this time, but before Thresh could close his hand around the handle, Evaine's voice stopped him.

"What is this chain? How is it... _doing_ this to me?"

"A soul shackle, that's what the sages who invented it long ago called," Thresh started, still facing away from the deceiver, "The magic involved in its creation and use are unimportant details, so, simply put, it's a tether that binds your soul to me while still letting its vessel, you my dear, live. When I tug at that chain, I am literally pulling at your very _being._ Does that answer your question?"

Thresh took Evaine's silence as a yes as he exited the room and closed the door behind him, leaving her to mull over all the new pieces of information she had obtained during their chat on her own.

As well as figuring out just how the hell she should feel about the ghostly reaper who now held her _leach,_ both figuratively and literally. Because Evaine really didn't know right now.

 **AN: Chapter two coming soon. Please leave a review to tell me how amazingly or horribly I pulled of this idea!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chains of lust**

 **AN: Sorry for taking so long in releasing this second chapter, I didn't have the time needed to sit down and edit it these past week. It's here now, though, and I hope it's to your liking.**

 **Two warnings I just want to point out before anything else, just to avoid making someone angry; Thresh in this chapter might be a little soft for everyone who expected a BDSM loving maniac - I just dislike writing him as such - and it's approximately 50% smut, so if that's not your thing I suggest you turn away at the halfway point if you still really want to read this. Thank you for all the reviews you guys have left, and now, without further delay, please enjoy the finale of this two-shot!**

How many days had passed since her initial abduction Evaine didn't know anymore. Considering that she had no way to reliably find out how long she had been unconscious for when Thresh's chains had drained her of strength, and that the day and night cycle on the Shadow Isles was anything but comprehensible, one could easily understand her difficulty keeping track of the time, but the one thing that Evaine's mind busy enough for her to not even _try_ to figure out the date was not what most people would expect.

Her mind, almost constantly during the past, what she had begun to refer to as 'Shadow-days', had been focused on one thing and one thing only;

Thresh, the chain warden.

Evaine still didn't know much about the reaper, especially not his past, but nevertheless she found herself fascinated yet increasingly vexed by the 'man'.

Since her abduction he had yet to lay a finger on her in a manner that could hurt her worse than temporary stinging, like when he had squeezed her shoulders after she had woken up from her unconscious state, and that alone was enough to make the deceiver confused. Thresh was known for many things in the stories detailing his _exploits_ , some of them contradicting one another, but the most firmly held 'belief' about him was that he was a master of pain and torture, and that he _loved_ doing both.

However, Evaine had yet to be a subject of either of these, even though Thresh himself referred to her as his _pet_ at times. She knew that he did torture people, plenty of them in fact, she could hear their screams echoing throughout the fortress from time to time, but she remained untouched in such a manner.

In fact, the way Thresh treated and handled her was almost... _affectionate. Intimate_ , even. Like she was a highly priced possession of his and he wanted to make sure she knew that he did hold feelings, maybe even _love_ for her, it just wasn't romantic in nature. And, as much as it hurt her to say, or even think it, Evaine was starting to enjoy the attention. When Thresh lightly stroked her cheek with his bare hand, or toyed with her hair, or even just played around with the soul shackle binding her to him, the deceiver couldn't deny that she felt a rush of _something_ deep within her—something _nice_.

She felt the same when he presented her with dresses too, or casually mentioned how beautiful she was. There was a rush, then a nice feeling of something akin to contentment, and then disgust at herself that she felt these things in the first place.

Because Evaine knew _what_ Thresh was, and how twisted both his mind and personality was. If there was ever a word to describe him it would be _sinister_. He took pleasure in others' suffering, destroyed people both mentally, physically, and emotionally, had killed and tortured hundreds, most likely _thousands_ of people during his many years walking Runeterra… and yet Evaine couldn't help but begin to feel _something_ for him.

She wasn't sure what it was exactly, but she knew it wasn't _normal_ in any sense of the word. That Thresh, in his humanoid guise at least, was very appealing to look at and that she was attracted to his appearance was not something the deceiver could, or wanted to deny, but, unfortunately, it went deeper than that.

The Thresh that Evaine had seen so far in his interactions with her was certainly still far from a 'good' person, or undead, but he had been treating her well during her stay with him... as his _pet._ He fed her well, provided her with things such as clothes and a place where she could reside comfortably, protected her from any and all other residents of the Shadow Isles, and she was almost always able to catch his attention if she needed to, provided she, as Thresh himself said; _behaved and watched her manners._

One instance in particular stood out to her. It had been when the woman Evaine knew as Elise, the spider queen, had come by one day and Thresh had gone out to meet with her, leaving the deceiver to watch them from one of the windows overlooking Thresh's fortress' courtyard. There had been many harsh words exchanged between the two, or that was what Evaine had been able to gather from watching their body language, ending with the spider stalking of in an obviously enraged state and Thresh in mood far more serious than was usual of him. However, the thing that made the event special to Evaine had happened in the middle of their conversation;

Elise had been gesturing wildly for a while after her apparent attempt to seduce the warden had failed, and in the middle of her ranting she had aggressively pointed a black and red, chitinous hand towards the deceiver's position in the window, her voice having risen to the point where even Evaine had been able to make out what she said.

" _Why are you protecting a pathetic mortal bitch like her!? We should just kill her and be done with it!"_ That's what the spider queen had shouted, and it was Thresh's response to those words that Evaine remembered clear as day.

He had grabbed the offending arm pointed towards her and roughly caught Elise's chin in his grasp, not unlike what he had done to Evaine herself when she had first arrived, and even though his voice had been low, quiet, and yet still immensely dangerous, something had made the deceiver able to hear every word clearly.

" _Why I choose to do something is none of your concern, Elise. Those who reside within the walls of my fortress belong to me and me alone, and I will not allow you or anyone else to touch them. Especially not_ _ **her**_ _... have I made myself clear?"_

Thresh had protected her. And Evaine had hear every word of it...

Aside from that, though, there was the touching, and the way he referred to her as 'My dear' or 'My dearest Evaine'...

In the end, all the things Thresh did towards her, and, more importantly, the things he _didn't_ do only left Evaine more confused with every day that passed, regardless of whether or not she could keep track of those days. She was confused about her own feelings, the spectre's feelings towards her, and finally about what was happening back in Noxus. Had they begun assuming that she was dead and that's why she hadn't reported in, or where they actually trying to rescue her from this living nightmare that was keeping her as his _pet_ and she was having so many conflicting emotions about?

With a deep sigh, as she sunk down further into the still unfathomably soft bed Thresh had declared was hers, Evaine decided to not think about it. Or at least not for now. She'd agonized over her own feelings enough for quite a while, and now she could also feel a tug in both the enchanted 'collar' around her neck and her insides, meaning that Thresh was making his way closer and closer towards her room.

Sure enough, a mere minute later, the heavy, wooden door to her room was easily pushed open and the pale man Evaine had come to almost refer to as _master_ stepped through the doorway, the deceiver easily noticing that there was something different about him today.

For one, the spectre wasn't wearing his fearsome looking gauntlets at the moment and, aside from his seemingly permanent, skull laden coat, the rest of his attire looked to be more casual than usual. All in all, Evaine thought he looked far more _human_ then she could ever recall seeing him.

"Evaine," he greeted her simply, the deceiver not even blinking at how minimalistic his greeting was, having become used to them long ago.

"Thresh," she replied back, sitting up on her bed and throwing her legs over the side of it, unconsciously letting her hands wander down to correct any wrinkles in the fabric of her dress.

Where usually there was silence after their greetings as he thought about something or other, there was none today, another thing that Evaine couldn't help think was odd, Thresh speaking up again as soon as he had closed the door behind him.

"There's no need to hide your turmoil, my dear, I can feel it radiating off your soul a mile away. Putting on a farce such as this is just a waste of time and energy."

Evaine's eyes widened in surprise and confusion as she watched the reaper wander across her room until he was standing right in front of her, gazing down upon her form with his piercing emerald eyes.

"W-what? What are you talking about, Thresh?"

Thresh merely lifted an eyebrow before scoffing lightly and kneeling down so that he was on almost equal eye level with her, their faces mere inches apart.

" _Evaine_..." the simple sound of her name being breathed out by the spectre made shivers of mixed delight and terror crawl up Evaine's spine, but she made no effort to move away from him. Not this time. "The shackle I've placed on your soul... I know you must have figured out it does more than just let me find you and give you an alert as to when I'm coming..."

His words were true, she had been certain there was something more to the spectral chain 'attached' to her very _core_ than just a simple _leash._

"I've told you many times, my dear, that a soul cannot lie or keep anything hidden from the one who is _reading_ it, and I've been able to _read_ yours perfectly ever since I bound you to me..."

Evaine was speechless.

"Your thoughts, your emotions, even your dreams. I've been able to _watch_ all of it. That's what I mean when I say that you shouldn't hide your turmoil, because it's pointless."

"M-my thoughts...? Emotions...?" The deceiver stammered out with a weak voice, feeling cold dread fill every vein within her. She'd heard about mind-readers all the time through her spy-network, but she had always dismissed it as pointless leads. She didn't _believe_ in the art of mind-reading or mind-control, or at least she _hadn't_. Until now.

"Indeed, but do not worry, my dear, I haven't looked through _every_ thought you've had since I placed the shackle, I've merely had the _chance_ to do so." Thresh spoke with a calm, level tone, one that Evaine had rarely before heard him use. There was no condescending bite or sinister undertone to it, he was speaking like a completely normal human being.

And that, to her, was the most disturbing part of all of this.

"Believe it or not, I do not wish to read everything about you off of what your soul tells me. I find it far more interesting and enjoyable to have _you,_ my dear Evaine, tell me what I want to know instead. So, please, stop hiding your emotions and tell me what you're feeling." As he spoke, Thresh brought one of his hands up to her face, and, for once, Evaine didn't shy away from the touch.

She was still unnerved thanks to his _very_ unusual and, for Thresh, _strange_ behavior, but the spectre's fingers weren't nearly as cold or _dead_ as they usually were, and the way he almost _tenderly_ stroked her cheek with them, Evaine thought it actually felt _nice..._

 _'I really am losing my mind...'_

It took a while for the deceiver to find her tongue and regain the ability of speech, but when she finally did, her voice was no longer that of Leblanc. It was _her_ voice. Evaine's. Because she knew hiding was completely pointless now. Thresh had outplayed her. She had no clones he couldn't methodically rip apart until the real _her_ was found, no fancy theatrics that he couldn't wave off with a passing glance, and no secret identities he couldn't see through with those emerald scythe-blades he called eyes.

Against Thresh, Evaine knew she was absolutely powerless, and she knew that _he_ was completely aware of this fact too. Which was why she felt so confused about just _what_ it was he was doing to her, and about how her feelings were being affected. What was he waiting for? Why hadn't he tortured her to madness yet? Why was he acting like he _cared_ about her? Why did he have to make her all her feelings become so convoluted when it came to how she felt about him!?

A lone tear began to run down Evaine's cheek in the silence that reigned between her and Thresh, an amalgamation of her emotional breaking, but before it could even reach halfway down to her chin, it was wiped away by an ashen finger.

"W-what... are you doing to me, Thresh...? Why haven't you turned me into another husk of a person... like you have done with everyone else...?" The deceiver practically _croaked_ out as her head fell down against her chest and her amber gaze was met with nothing but the wardens lap.

The sight of Evaine breaking down before him made what remained of Thresh's black, rock-hard, frozen heart feel something akin to satisfaction. This was what he had striven for ever since he had taken her into his _care,_ or at least the beginning of it. There were still some things he was going to do to her to completely cement his _victory._

"My dear, there are two answers to that question, one of which is far too long to be explained right here and now, so I'm going to give you the more simple one; you're an amazing woman, and you're very interesting to me. Like I've told you before. I've never wanted to touch a hair on your head, because that, in my eyes, would have ruined what an absolute piece of art you are. Your skills, your beauty, your legacy, even your personality; I consider all of it- all of _you—_ magnificent. Your soul is a radiant star that would kill me a little to have to extinguish, even compared to others in my collection. You are very _special_ to me, _Evaine,_ simple as that." He explained honestly, merely choosing to _leave_ _out_ some details rather than outright lying.

Hell, he might even add those details if Evaine asked the right questions.

What could almost be considered a sob passed through Evaine's body as she slumped further forward against the warden, her forehead landing on his shoulder as she shook lightly. She had been expecting many answers, most of them twisted and wicked beyond human imagining, but never had she foreseen a response like this. Thresh had, to her, felt _heartfelt_ while he spoke, and she honestly believed what he had told her. She just had no idea how to process it.

If she relied on her feelings right now, Evaine didn't know what would happen, and she would go against every rule the Black Rose had upheld since its inception. However, she also knew it was hopeless to try and hide _anything_ from Thresh anymore. He could read her like an open book, even without the soul shackle, and he was far too observant and intelligent for her, in her broken state, to even _try_ to slip a lie past him.

And, thusly, Evaine threw caution to the wind, and opened the floodgates, so to speak. The floodgates to her soul and heart.

"You're nothing like the tales people have told me, Thresh... that's what scares me most about you, honestly. I have no idea _what_ or _who_ you really are. You're an enigma on a scale that I can't even hope to touch or even begin to fathom. People have said you're a monster, but to me you have been anything but. You're far beyond anything sane, but you've still never hurt me... you've... _cared_ for me... and now-... and now you're telling me I'm special to you..." more tears ran down Evaine's pale cheeks as she spoke, tears of frustration and confusion. And of terror.

She didn't know what she was going to do. Thresh just did _things_ to her that left her unable to understand even herself. And that still scared her. Because if she couldn't control herself, her _emotions,_ then she could do something that would ruin _everything_ she had built up during her years as the leader of the Black Rose.

"I told you to stop hiding your turmoil, my dear. I want to know what it is that's bothering you. What you've told me is only the surface, I can tell, so don't hold back. Tell me _everything_. _Please_?" Thresh's voice cut through the chaos reigning within her mind like the blade of his scythe, and Evaine finally lifted her head to meet his gaze. They were so close now, she couldn't help but note, and she could take in every single detail on Thresh's handsome face.

A ragged breath entered the deceiver's lungs as she gathered up what remained of her sanity for what she was about to say. "I-... I can't explain it... not with words... I can only show you..."

In a heartbeat, Evaine threw the gathered sanity she had out the window, closing the distance between her and Thresh, her eyes closing before she could see the small, yet downright _victorious_ smirk on the reaper's lips. Then they were kissing.

It wasn't deep or sensual, and Thresh didn't do much in the way of retaliation at first, content with letting Evaine pour her emotions and frustrated confusion into this impulsive act. Her lips were as soft as her skin, maybe even softer, and the warden could feel the turmoil that had been building within his _ward_ for what had to have been weeks being released into their kiss. His _plan_ had succeeded, it seemed. Evaine was his.

A soft sigh left Evaine's lips as she pushed them against Thresh's own with a miniscule amount of increased force. Kissing the spectre felt far more _freeing_ than she had expected at first, but she was in no way complaining as the agitation from having been unable to understand just what her feelings had been telling her for so long was finally beginning to slowly but surely vanish. Her hands wandered up his strong, thick arms until one rested squarely on his broad shoulders and the other landed on his neck, not even the thick material of his coat being able to _hide_ the outlines of Thresh's muscles from her expert touch.

She knew it was wrong, that Thresh was a murderer and an absolute psychopath, but the same could be said for her, in all honesty. True, her kill-count might not be as high as his, but she had also been around for far less time than the spectre, and while he tortured for fun, she did it to gain information, but she really couldn't deny she found _some_ sick enjoyment enjoyment from making people _squeal_. They were both horrible people that found joy in others' suffering, in one way or another, so, in a sick way, Evaine almost felt that this was _right_ in the end.

Thresh's hands landed on her side and on her hip as their kiss grew more passionate. No longer was their lips merely touching softly, now they were starting to push harder and harder against the other, though Evaine still remained in the _lead,_ so to speak, or at least for now. She deftly ran her nimble tongue along the warden's lips, 'asking' to _continue_ in a way that almost felt foreign to her. When she had kissed people in the past, whether it be politicians, generals, diplomats, or even assassins, she never asked permission like this. Her partner was usually too lost in the moment to even think about denying her at this point, but Thresh was _far_ different than anyone or anything she had dealt with before. And this kiss was also one that was different than any she had shared with others in the past.

The warden's lips separated and allowed the deceiver entrance without hesitation, and Evaine did not hesitate either, almost _eagerly_ meeting Thresh's tongue with hers, taking in his taste for the first time as the hand she had previously laid on his shoulder moved upward until she could gently tangle her fingers in the coarse yet somehow soft, pale hair he kept on his head. A moan escaped her, but it wasn't involuntary for once. Thresh's taste and the feel of his tongue practically _dancing_ with hers was utterly unique to Evaine–it was as if the blazing, green flames usually encompassing his skull-mask had a taste of their own.

The distinct taste of metal mixed with something different and wonderfully exotic.

Evaine found it almost addictive.

Thresh too found himself enjoying the deceiver's soft, supple lips and smooth, agile tongue, her distinctly _alive_ warmth bringing back memories of his years as a human just like her, but he chose to not dwell on them lest he stop paying attention to the mage in his grasp. He was just getting started after all. Evaine was already his, from what he could see, but Thresh still wanted to make sure she knew what he could provide her with if she too understood _this_ –understood her _position._

With a quiet, surprised noise from the deceiver herself, Thresh broke their kiss momentarily, letting Evaine take a breath she hadn't actually noticed she was in desperate need of, before he fixed her with a single look from those unreal eyes of his.

"Was that really so hard, my dear? Wouldn't it have been easier for you if you had just done _this_ when your conflict started?" He inquired with that dangerously smooth voice of his, humor evident in every syllable that rolled of his silver tongue.

Evaine wanted to argue against it—or at least her more prideful side wanted to–but she didn't. Instead, she just closed her eyes once more and leaned in for another kiss, feeling both relief and a spark of pleasant tingling shoot up her spine when Thresh met her halfway. His tongue entered her mouth right away this time, and Evaine sighed at the sensation.

A small, quiet moan escaped her when she felt the spectre's hands wander up her satin clad sides, his touch more gentle than she might have ever expected from him. When he reached just below her armpits, Thresh stopped the kiss just like before, and Evaine couldn't help let a mewl of disappointment depart from her lungs, her eyes practically pleading when he looked up at him.

The spectre chuckled lightly at her distraught visage, rising up to his full height before the deceiver. He was very glad he'd been able to coax this _behavior_ out of the normally proud Noxian, she looked far more beautiful when she wasn't gazing at him with fear or disgust in his humble opinion.

"What's wrong, Evaine? Do you not wish for me to stop? If that's not the case, I'm afraid I'm going to have to hear you say it..." realization flashed within the honeyed orbs of the deceiver, and Thresh could tell that she knew what he wanted from her. Now, all that was left to see was whether or not she could 'forsake' her pride as much as he desired.

Golden brown met shining emerald in a moment of absolute quiet, not even the usual sounds of the Isles themselves breaking it, and Evaine bit her lower lip lightly as her mind fought a desperate battle with her heart and body. She wanted Thresh to keep going, wanted to kiss him for as long as she could, wanted him to do _more_ things to her, but to receive it, she would have to do something that her prideful nature vehemently refused;

 _Beg._

Thresh wanted her to beg, and if it meant that his touch was on her, Evaine felt herself accede to his demands. Only her mind remained against the idea, what little was left of her pride and sanity trying desperately to keep her from _submitting_ fully to what she _knew_ was an absolute monster, however, thanks to the spectre's _work,_ it wouldn't be able to fight against her desires or emotions.

With a shaky breath, Evaine's lips parted, the struggle in her body becoming more and more hopeless, until, finally, her heart, body, and _soul_ attained victory, any remaining shred of _sanity_ seemingly leaving her completely.

"Please, Thresh... please don't stop..."

The reaper in question could only do one thing at her _desperate request;_ grin in satisfaction.

"I need this... I... I need _you... please..."_

"Very well, my dear," he whispered as his heavy coat fell from his broad shoulders, landing on the carpeted floor of her room with a slight clinging of the skulls and chains mounted on it, "I won't stop. I'm in no position to deny someone as _special_ you, after all."

With slow movements, Thresh closed the small gap between himself and the bed on which Evaine sat, her expression quickly shifting into one filled with something akin to _hope_ when he placed one of his hands squarely on her chest and gently pushed her back against the soft covers, towering over her form while his eyes roamed all over her like so many times before. After the smallest of moments, he leaned down and touched his lips softly against hers, but it was only for a second before he deepened the kiss and his hands took the place of his eyes in roaming all over her body.

From her sides, to her stomach, down to her thighs and legs, and then up to her chest, Thresh's hands wandered, and Evaine wouldn't deny that the warden certainly knew what he was doing. There was no hesitation in his actions, no form of uncertainty, and she could _feel_ the confidence practically oozing from every pour of his body. He was in full control now, both of the moment and of her, and both he and Evaine knew it.

A louder moan then before passed through her lips as one of Thresh's dextrous hands found her breasts and he didn't waste any time before his palm was gently laid over the malleable flesh, the hand's twin having ascended to her cheek.

But then the warden stopped his ministrations, and Evaine's eyes opened in confusion. She was immediately met with Thresh's green gaze, _something_ clearly shining within his eyes, and she had a mere moment to prepare before her world shifted faster than she could register and instead of being laid out on her bed, she was sitting on Thresh's lap with his chest against her back. The deceiver was just about to exclaim her surprise when her breath was taken from her thanks to the warden's hands finding her breasts again, quickly picking up where he'd left off.

Evaine couldn't help the gasp that departed her lungs at the sensation of having her chest fondled with such precise care. Her flings with diplomats or the like, whether they be for simple pleasure or information, never felt like this. Thresh's movements were slow and calculated, his mind still very much controlling every single action he made–the polar opposite to the drunken or merely lustful fumbling her partners usually exercised. However, she couldn't deny that this felt many times better than she could have imagined.

"There's no need to be quiet, my dear. I can assure you, not a _soul_ will pay it any mind. The only one who will hear it will be me." Thresh whispered against the deceiver's exposed neck while his fingers began to nimbly untie the strings keeping the dark blue corset she was wearing around her upper body. It had been some time since he heard exclamations of pleasure thanks to his actions, and he believed Evaine's voice could put anything the widowmaker or spider queen could offer to shame.

Evaine herself chose not to answer Thresh with words, letting out a low, quiet moan instead. It seemed to be enough to appease the spectre for now, his chuckle against her ear causing shivers of delight to crawl like thousands of small spiders _through_ all of her limbs _._ She let out another moan, quiet like the last, when Thresh released her from her corsetted confines and his hands began to grope at her now substantially freer chest again, but now with more fervor.

The warden could tell Evaine was beginning to grow aroused, the hardened nubs sticking against his palms being the most obvious sign, noticeable even through her undergarments as he massaged her sizable mounds, and that made him smile. Still with the smirk upon his lips, Thresh began kissing and nipping at the delectable flesh that was the deceiver's neck and shoulders, savoring her taste when his tongue too joined in.

The mild saltiness from her light amount of sweat joined together with a sweet, almost floral aroma to create a flavor that Thresh found most desirable, and it was with some dissatisfaction that he removed his face from Evaine's neck. It was necessary, however, for him to lean back and bring his hands around the mage's torso so that he may continue in his efforts to undress her.

The small clasps on Evaine's back keeping her lovely dress together were dealt with in seconds thanks to the many, many years of experience working with finicky things that Thresh possessed, but when the upper part of the dress began to fall from her spotless shoulders, the warden was met with a surprise.

"Heh, I am surprised I failed to notice your lack of a brassiere, my dear. Your chest truly is shapely for it to stay as luscious as is without the aid of undergarments." Thresh laughed as he took in the sight of Evaine's absolutely gorgeous, bared back.

Evaine felt her cheeks redden slightly at his comments as a shiver rocked her body from the chilled air hitting her now exposed torso, even though she took them as compliments. Something about Thresh's way of speaking, along with alluring voice, made her feel more vulnerable than before. Though now it was in a good way.

"With the corset on I figured I wouldn't need it, I had not planned on... well, _this_ happening today." She said evenly for the first time in what felt like an eternity.

"True enough, I suppose," Thresh replied, still evidently enjoying this _revelation_ of sorts, "But it does make me wonder if your nether half shares this bare nature."

Evaine chose not respond to that, a very small blush covering her pale cheeks, focusing on the feeling of Thresh's fingers running along her skin instead. For an undead, she couldn't help but think his touch was very _warm,_ not like what she had felt when he had first touched her with his gauntlets still on. It felt... _nice._ Her eyes closed slowly as she leaned back against the warden's strong chest, feeling it reverberate slightly against her back as he chuckled. His hands wandered down her sides to her waist, and then up again until they both landed on her uncovered breasts.

A sigh left Evaine's lips as Thresh began to massage her breasts again, the feeling of pleasure it provided heightened now that there was nothing between his hands her her skin. Her lightly salmon colored nipples were already hardened even before Thresh had rid her of the upper half of her dress, and she could tell they were pushing into his palms as he groped her. This was far gentler than anything she had expected from him, but she was far from complaining.

There was almost complete silence in the room as Thresh gently kneaded and pulled on the soft, malleable orbs on Evaine's chest, the only thing breaking the quiet being her small sounds of pleasure when he did something that felt especially good. Like when he brought his fingers to push down on her erect nipples, toying with them.

To Evaine, it felt glorious, and she was just about to speak up about that fact when Thresh spoke up.

"I think it's about time we see whether I was right or not, wouldn't you agree, my dear?"

Evaine didn't have the chance to reply back to the reaper before her body was suddenly lifted upward thanks to a pair of spectral chains wrapping around her wrists, and her dress fell completely with a small amount of help from Thresh over her wide hips. She wanted to protest against the restraints put on her body, though she could feel they weren't sapping her energy like the last time, but when she opened her mouth to speak she was abruptly silenced by Thresh putting his hand on her stomach as he now stood behind her rather than sitting.

He hummed in thought as he looked down at the, in his mind, artistic perfection that was Evaine's body, his head hovering just above her shoulder. His mere touch made lightning burn beneath the deceiver's skin in a pleasurable way that was foreign to her. She had never been treated like she was this _delicate_ before. Her breathing picked up as Thresh's hand slowly descended, making its way over her lightly defined abdominal muscles, while his other hand cupped one of her breasts once more.

Fingers that felt like they were now made from fire and ice itself closed around one of her inviting nipples, lightly pinching the peak in such a way that a moan was released from her lips, and Evaine still knew things were just getting started. Hopefully. She didn't put past it for Thresh to torture her by working her up like this and then just abandoning her, but she _desperately_ wished that that would not be the case.

"Thresh..." she moaned once more, as the spectre's hand not playing with her nipple descended even further down–over the garters holding her stockings in place—until his fingers rested right at her core, the dampened state of her panties showing off her arousal far more than her nipples could.

"Yes, my dear? What is it? Do you wish for me to stop _now_...?" Thresh asked her as he let go off her nipple to take the entirety of her soft breast in his hand, groping and massaging it with care almost unbefitting of him. At least in the eyes of most.

"No!" Evaine almost yelled, the prospect of Thresh removing his hands from her sounding like a fate worse than being stuck in the flames of his lantern at this moment. "Please... keep going, I want more... please give me more, Thresh..." she pleaded, hoping that her desperate tone would be enough to sway the spectre to keep going.

Thankfully, it seemed that it was, the hand on her panties starting to move again in tandem with the one of on her breast. First it was just gentle strokes against her clothed slit, but the jolts of pleasure the action caused still made Evaine moan, trying to lean into Thresh's touch even more, though the chains around her wrists made this a fruitless effort.

"My oh my, the illustrious spymistress of Noxus practically begging for a humble reaper like me to keep touching her. That sure is a rare sight, wouldn't you say, my dear Evaine?" Thresh almost cackled from behind her, his breath ghosting over the delicate skin he had been kissing not long ago.

Evaine didn't try to hide or even resist the shudder that went through her this time, the alluring tone Thresh possessed feeling like it was caressing her eardrums directly. That, along with the slight chill his breath provided, would never fail to make her shiver, she suspected.

She wanted to answer him, but her chance to do so was taken away as her world was twisted and turned again. And then there was blackness.

Something was covering her eyes, Evaine could tell as she was laid out on her back on _her_ bed again, but just _what_ it was she had no idea. She suspected it was some sort of cloth considering how smooth it was against her skin, but she had no way of verifying that since, as she quickly discovered, her wrists were still restrained by Thresh's chains.

"Thresh? What are you doing...?" She asked, almost worriedly. She wouldn't deny the situation she was in turned her on, but there was still the matter of just _who_ she was at the _mercy_ of. Whether she wanted it or not, and despite what he had done for her during the time she had been with him and what he had been doing up until this point, Evaine was still scared of Thresh. Especially when she couldn't see what he was doing.

Right now he was providing her with pleasure, but there was still a nagging suspicion within the deceiver's mind that he might snap at a moments notice and her days among the living would be cut painfully short.

The sound of Thresh's laughter met Evaine's ears moments after her question had left her lips, and then she could feel the warden's chilled breath against her neck.

"You really are quite nosy, my dear, has anyone ever told you that? Aside from myself, of course. You don't like to just lay back and accepting something," Thresh whispered gently right up against one of her ears, his hands moving down her sides at a _painfully_ slow pace. Evaine wanted to answer, she really did, but her usually silver laden tongue got caught in her throat the moment the warden's fingers hooked beneath the hem of her increasingly wet, lace panties.

This whole scenario was new to her. She had no idea just what Thresh was planning, and she knew any attempt to read him would only result in more confusion for her. He had absolute control right now, both physically and mentally, and Evaine had no way of changing that. Though... it wasn't like she was really desperate to change that. It was very rare that the people she shared a bed with, aside from Talon or Darius, actually took charge. She was almost always on top in one way or another, but not this time. Not with Thresh. Now she was beneath him–beneath his _touch–_ and Evaine _liked_ the thrill of excitement that the feeling of being at someone's mercy forged.

She was scared, yet excited. She wanted him, _needed_ him, yet she couldn't avoid the trickle of fear down her spine.

Just as slowly as his hands had traversed her sides before, Thresh tugged on her panties, pulling them downwards inch by tantalizing inch, only to halt once he reached the clips that connected her garter belt to her stockings. Blind as she was, Evaine could only listen and feel as the warden undid these clasps, swiftly ridding her of the garter belt entirely, before moving back to her panties. The slightly chilled air of the room meeting her now exposed sex made goosebumps rise on the her fair skin, the slow pace at wish Thresh was undressing her feeling like a new form of torture entirely. She wanted to grind her legs together, to move her hands down and relive some of the built up tension within her body, but she didn't dare do it. She didn't want Thresh to stop, and she was afraid that pleasuring herself rather than letting _him_ provide her with pleasure would cause this to happen.

After far too long, at least to her, Evaine felt her panties being removed from around her legs and feet entirely, and she hoped that this would mean that Thresh would finally tend to now blazing fire he had created inside her. She was naked before him now, completely bared except for her stockings and _collar_ , but it seemed the warden wasn't done teasing her just yet.

His hands wandered up her legs to the edge of her stockings and carefully pulled them down too, his fingers' gentle brushes against her skin leaving trails of what felt like _magma_ to the deceiver from how hot it made her feel in their wake. Thresh was enjoying this, Evaine could tell. He was enjoying _playing_ with her like just another one of his torture victims, even if _this torture_ was far from painful, but she had never expected any less. And it wasn't like she _didn't_ enjoy this too. She was just impatient and thought Thresh was taking a _little_ too long pulling down her stockings, the time he spent admiring her long, toned legs being wasted in her opinion when he _could_ be providing her with some _real_ pleasure.

"Impatient as always, aren't we, Evaine?" Thresh sighed over-dramatically as he _finally_ removed the thin, black, lace traced nylon previously covering her legs, and Evaine almost groaned at the sarcasm practically _dripping_ from his words. Had the warden been someone else, someone like Talon or his sister Katarina for example, and had she not been restrained and blinded, Evaine would have smacked them upside the head for merely _using_ such a tone, but right now that was absolutely unthinkable.

In the end, any smartass reply or quip Evaine could have responded with had this been a _normal_ situation was thrown out, the sound emerging from her throat as she writhed instinctively within her confines being nowhere close to what one would expect from the proud Noxian;

It was a whine. A whine of desperation.

Right now, Evaine knew she _needed_ Thresh. He had throttled the fire in her loins to such a degree that she couldn't control her urges anymore. She _needed_ release, and Thresh was the only one around for miles that could give it to her.

"It wouldn't do for me to leave a subject so _special_ to me in such a _tortured_ state, would it now? It seems I'll just _have_ to provide you with the pleasure for which you so _desperately_ seek, does it not, my dear? I want you to be _satisfied_ after all..." Thresh whispered against the skin of the deceiver's toned stomach, Evaine herself practically quivering beneath his touch now, her body settling down as best it could.

The slow pace in which he had undressed the deceiver had given Thresh plenty of time to just take in the breathtaking beauty of her naked form, so he didn't bother letting his eyes roam over her now, he had already done do plenty. He'd seen all of Evaine now. Her toned, long legs, her luscious, strong thighs, her wide hips, her smooth, unmarred skin, her large, firm breasts, and her gorgeous face twisted in deprived want. He'd seen it all and he'd _enjoyed_ it all. Especially the smaller details. Those he particularly loved. Like the neatly trimmed, purple-ish black hair that rested just above her sex. Thresh hadn't expected Evaine to be someone who cared for their pubic hair, he had thought she would have been shaved clean, but he was certainly not complaining. It broke up the otherwise seemingly endless, pale expanse of unmarred skin on display in a way that he found most aesthetically pleasing.

But now, Thresh had more _important_ matters than just admiring the deceiver's body he _needed_ to attend to.

From her toned stomach, the reaper kissed and nipped his way southward, moving lower and lower down Evaine's _aching_ body, over the small tuft of purple-ish hair covering her pubic mound, reaching the place where her fire burned the hottest after a time that felt like an eternity. Thresh had to suppress the urge to chuckle once he finally laid eyes on Evaine's now soaked slit, the juices practically _streaming_ from between her folds being anything but discreet. She was turned on, very much so, and he loved seeing her in such a _broken_ , almost begging state.

Evaine Leblanc; leader of the Black Rose, famed spymistress of Noxus, holder of the new Leblanc identity and name, and one of the most beautiful and exalted women Thresh had had the pleasure of looking at, was now completely at his mercy. If he stopped now, denied her the pleasure her mind and body needed, then there was no telling what he could make her do in exchange for giving her release.

 _'The possibilities are almost limitless...'_ he thought with a dark, mental cackle, any pour soul within miles of his fortress suddenly fleeing in the opposite direction. However, Thresh didn't do that. He _could_ very easily do it, but he didn't want to. Not right now. Destroying Evaine's mind completely through this _special_ kind of torture alone would leave her in such a state that he wouldn't be able to play with her like _this_. He might not even be able to talk to her if he overestimated what her mind could handle.

Of course, Thresh liked torture, loved it even, breaking minds and souls was one of his favorite pastimes, but making Evaine another broken thrall when she provided so much entertainment in his unlife did not sound appealing to him. She was such a unique specimen, and her mind was such an interesting one. To take all her identity away, like so many of his souls... it would be a shame in Thresh's eyes.

So, instead, the warden looked up at Evaine's stunning features, made even more beautiful to him thanks to how they had twisted in anticipation and pleasure, and smiled. Her breaking could come another day.

Evaine gasped as she suddenly felt _something_ run along the length of her sensitive sex and when the motion repeated itself moans followed. Up and down Thresh rubbed her slit, every movement causing pure euphoria to erupt within her mind after waiting for so long.

"O-oh yes...!" She whimpered quietly, pushing her hips against the warden's touch. For now, it seemed he wouldn't toy with her, or at least so Evaine hoped.

Thresh smiled at the sounds of pleasure emerging from the deceiver, enjoying it far more than the tortured screams of his souls at the moment, and, to _reward_ her for providing such wonderful sounds, he deftly pushed two of his fingers into her, meeting her bucking hips.

Evaine couldn't stop her mouth from falling open and her back from arching when Thresh's fingers began to pump into her, making her entire _being_ feel as if it was being shocked by thousands of volts of electricity. His pace was slow at first but quickly increased in speed, the thrusting of her hips against his fingers only digging them deeper and deeper inside her. It wasn't much, and Evaine had certainly been subjected to more elaborate sex before, but thanks to Thresh's teasing and the feelings bubbling within her, any pleasure she felt was seemingly multiplied thousandfold, or at least that was how Evaine experienced it.

Then Thresh curled his fingers upwards, and the sudden spike of pleasure made the deceiver realize something; she wouldn't last long. _Couldn't_ last long. At all.

With a loud moan, far louder than any of her previous ones, Evaine came, her a multitude of colors and sensations exploding within her mind until everything went completely white for a moment, the only thing keeping her _anchored_ to this world being Thresh's satisfied chuckle at her obvious bliss. Her pleasure was only extended thanks to him never stopping his fingers' pumping, though his pace slowed down slightly and his fingers uncurled.

Her body spasmed slightly and her back arched even further, making her breasts bounce enticingly, but once the initial explosion of euphoria had happened, Evaine felt herself relax as she came down from her orgasm. She was still aflame on the inside, a new inferno building with the warden's help, but her release had been obtained. And Evaine was happy with that.

Though... not satisfied. A fact that became apparent when Thresh finally pulled his fingers out of her dripping folds, the sound of sucking following soon afterward, the implication of which took Evaine a moment to figure out. Very few of her partners had done so in the past after all, including the women.

"D-did you really just...?" She breathed out almost tiredly, lifting her head to 'look' down on the warden despite still being blindfolded.

Thresh just chuckled at her and reached up with his dry hand to caress her cheek, Evaine melting in to his touch as soon as she felt it on her skin, certainly a far cry from how she had reacted when she had first been brought to him. "It seemed like such a waste, don't you think? You're certainly not bad tasting after all."

Now it was Evaine's turn to chuckle, feeling slightly disappointed when Thresh's touch left, though when she felt her blindfold being undone she forgot about the 'loss'. She looked down at him properly this time, honeyed eyes clouded by lust meeting ever striking emerald ones, and a smile made its way onto her face, one complementing Thresh's own smirk. Her wrist remained bound, however.

As Evaine looked down, she couldn't help but notice just how sweaty she now looked, a light, glistening sheen covering her person, like she had been doing one of her normal workout routines or taken part in a far more energetic sexual encounter. It didn't seem to bother Thresh, though, so she chose ignore it for now. She had more _pressing_ matters to attend to at the moment after all.

She expected Thresh to either undo the chains around her wrists completely or move them to let her change position so that she could repay the _favor_ he had done for her, the act of _servicing_ him obviously being quite difficult to do in her position, but Evaine was surprised to find out that none of that happened. Thresh merely stayed between her legs, his hands massaging her strong thighs while he was seemingly waiting for something. The deceiver felt herself become confused, though that was almost her default state around the warden in all honesty.

After a full minute passed with Thresh not doing anything aside from massaging her thighs, his touch touch still pleasant if nothing else, Evaine felt her patience run dry and she tried to move her legs to exhibit some form of reaction from him. She didn't want _this_ to be over so soon, she still wanted more pleasure and more release. A small part of her also wanted to provide Thresh with release, either by using her mouth or any other part of her body, though it was certainly not as strong as the one wanting more of the spectre's touch.

Then something unexpected happened. Before Evaine could ask what he was doing, Thresh fell to one knee and moved her legs so that they were resting on her shoulders, after which he closed the distance between them and planted his lips firmly on her slit, his tongue finding her the little bundle of nerves crowning her sex quickly. Surprise and pleasure overtook the deceiver's senses in an instant and new moans, just as loud as the ones before, escaped her mouth. Her hands struggled against the chains binding her as she tried to instinctively push Thresh's head further between her thighs, but until then all she could do was buck her hips at him as his apparently skilled tongue toyed with her clit, her head slamming down on the bedcovers again.

"W-what about you, Thresh...!?" Evaine managed to moan out as the fingers that had brought her so much pleasure mere minutes ago joined the warden's tongue in his efforts to drive her to the edge again. Her question came with a negative side, Evaine realized quickly, as Thresh couldn't continue using his tongue on her if she wanted him to answer her, and it was with some disappointment she felt the dextrous appendage leave her clit.

"I'm touched you would such concern for me, Evaine, but that is for another time. Right now you should only worry about yourself." Thresh replied while gazing up at her moaning form, the smirk on his face having grown since the last time Evaine saw it. He got back to _work_ quickly though, his tongue finding the deceiver's folds once more, and Evaine didn't try to hide her thankfulness for it, mewls of bliss spilling from her lips by the second.

"T-Thresh...!" She moaned loudly as her hips jolted against him once more, only for her eyes to shoot open when the warden's fingers left her and something larger, far colder took their place. Evaine felt as if someone had pushed a metal pole into her _burning_ insides and it was only when it started to thrusting into her at a rhythmic pace that the real shock to her system began. It was almost unreal the sensations the action brought with it. With Thresh's tongue still working her sensitive clit and now the metal pole he handled like an expert thrusting rhythmically in to her, Evaine was quickly brought closer and closer to her limit once more, her moans growing in both frequency and volume. She was sure her cries of ecstasy could be heard echoed all over the Shadow Isles, but as long as Thresh didn't stop, she didn't care. It felt too good.

Her legs locked behind the warden's head as he pushed the make-shift dildo into her even further than before and Evaine's system was overtaken by a surge of pleasure that caused her entire body to jolt. Then there came an entirely new yet still somewhat familiar sensation.

Without warning, Evaine felt the tug in her chest that only Thresh's soul shackle could make her feel, and it, mixed with the pleasure Thresh himself was _subjecting_ her to with his tongue and the pseudo dildo was the last straw. She came, again, this orgasm ever stronger than the last as her body contorted as much as it could to prolong the experience somehow, her nectar gushing out of her sex and splashing onto Thresh's only slightly unsuspecting mouth and chin.

The moan that emerged from her lips this time was one that even Evaine herself was surprised to hear; it was a long, low moan that rose until it was almost a scream, dying down only when her body finally stopped locking itself up around the warden. Her mind was in heaven, thoughts lost within the pleasure, and her descent was a slow one as she half say, half laid panting on her bed. She could still feel Thresh's tongue lapping at her labia while she came down from her orgasmic high, though he was being far more 'gentle' than before, and the sensation made Evaine continue to release soft exclamations of bliss, her body twitching oh so slightly as her sensitive folds continued to be pleasured. Only now were her hands released from their entrapment, and they joined the rest of Evaine's body as she collapsed completely onto her bed's now sullied sheets.

As she 'fell', Thresh stood up from between the now exhausted deceiver's legs, laughing quietly at the expression upon her still beautiful features while he wiped his mouth and chin off on his arm. He would make someone come change the sheets later, for he doubted Evaine would like to sleep on a bed that carried the fresh scent of her orgasm. Though it didn't look like she would have much of a choice as the chains made to heighten senses that he had restrained her wrists with had done their job a little too well—their magic completely knocking Evaine out.

A fact Thresh noted with another chuckle.

"Sweet dreams, my dear, when you awaken we shall see what more _fun_ you and I can have..." he almost sang as he gathered up the discarded clothes laying on the floor, pulling on his coat and folding up Evaine's dress before depositing it in one of the dressers in the room, moving back to Evaine's almost sleeping form as soon as he was done. There he helped her to get more situated to the bed, pulling the covers over her still nude body, and he was about to leave when something suddenly stopped him.

Looking down, Thresh saw something that made him raise an eyebrow in amused questioning; Evaine's hand tugging at his one of the hems of his coat. He looked back at the deceiver and was met with a singular, tired eye, its color no longer honeyed brown but a deep violet. A lone thought passed through the link between their souls, and Thresh couldn't help but snicker a little at the request it held, though it wasn't out of malice for once.

 _'Stay... please...'_

It was a thought, therefore it had no voice of its own, but Thresh had no problem understanding the pleading tone it would have held should Evaine have said it out loud. She didn't want him to leave, or at least not yet, and for the first time in a very long time, the warden felt something small tug at his long dead heartstrings. Evaine was special to him after all. She reminded him of someone who had long since passed away. And it was for that reason Thresh sent a small smile at the flickering image of the older woman and the young Evaine laying on her bed before pulling up one of the many chairs in the room to her bedside and settling down in it.

He could stay for a little while, Thresh decided. His _meeting_ with Evelynn and Elise could wait for a bit. They could just start by themselves if they got too inpatient after all. And the council Mordekaiser had called was not something he considered very _urgent_. One more year of the master of metal's rage directed at him was nothing new.

With a small sigh escaping his lips, as well as a little, quiet chuckle, Thresh conjured up the chain binding Evaine's soul to him, toying with it as the deceiver fell asleep, her breaths calmly evening out. He no longer knew the name of the woman Evaine's features belonged to, but Thresh was certain it was her _fault_ the mage was so special to him. Somehow.

 _'Though, I can't exactly say it bothers me...'_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chains of protection**

 **A/N: Just something I've been working on for a while. You can thank _crazyLantern_ for its creation, even if it isn't exactly what I intended for it to be in the beginning... *cough*sorryfornotbeingamorningafterthing*cough***

 **I will say, though, that I did regret making Leblanc the leading lady in this a few times when writing. I feel I didn't completely capture her character right and that I could have made the scenario presented here work better with my second choice; Quinn, but I'm still satisfied with the result in the end.**

 **Please enjoy.**

Something had changed. Evaine could feel it. Ever since she had woken up—naked and alone in her room, with the only sign of Thresh having been with her being the chair still at the foot of her bed—there had been an ever present _something_ in the air around hertelling her that there had been a figurative shift of power within the very walls of the fortress she almost called home by this point. She wasn't sure just what it was yet, but to Evaine it felt as if something had been lifted off her shoulders, like the oppressive, dark atmosphere of the Shadow Isles wasn't as heavy as it had once been.

Whatever the change was, however, there was one thing the deceiver was completely sure of; Thresh was the cause of it. It had to be. She knew of no one else, not even Swain back in Noxus, who had this much _control_ over everyone and everything around him, so who else could it be but him?

As her thoughts shifted to the chain warden, Evaine unknowingly let one of her hands wander up to gently touch the mystical choker around her neck—her fingers slowly trailing the contours of the chains engraved on it—the only article of clothing still left on her curvaceous form. It was her _leash_. And the one who held the other end of it was Thresh. But she didn't mind that. Not anymore. Not after her feelings had revealed themselves fully to her and she'd bared them all to him. He'd been the one to help her settle the conflict within her after all. He'd seen through all her illusions; seen the _real_ Evaine, someone who she had only ever shown to a very select handful of people.

And Thresh had returned her feelings, or so she felt. He'd kissed her back and then provided her with the most rewarding release she'd ever experienced in her life.

Evaine couldn't help but smile a little at that. She didn't recall much of what had happened after Thresh had made her orgasm the second time, but something told her that the warden hadn't left her right after that. As she'd slept, her dreams had been very odd, but not unpleasant ones, and she could actually recall one major thing that all of them had shared; there had been a gentle tugging in her chest, drawing her towards a softly glowing green light in the distance.

It didn't matter though, she decided after a moment of pondering. Her sleep had been peaceful and she felt well rested after it, and while the _change_ she could feel was a big one, she knew that if Thresh truly was the culprit of it, she'd have no chance at figuring it out in just a few minutes of thinking.

With a light shake of her head to rid her mind of the thoughts, Evaine climbed out of her bed, only now noticing the stain on top of the covers from where she'd came the night before. The sight caused a light dusting of pink to cover her pale cheeks, though she was more appalled at herself that she'd slept in her own juices than she was embarrassed.

Noting that she'd have to ask Thresh for a change of bedsheets later, she quickly gathered some fresh clothes from out of her drawers and, just as quickly, crossed the hall outside her room to where the bath Thresh had declared was hers laid. Once inside, she put away her clothes and filled the big tub in the middle of the room with warm, darkened water, magic making what would normally take several minutes only take an instant. When she'd first arrived at the Shadow Isles, the appearance of the water coming from the taps had disturbed the deceiver, but now she'd become used to it. According to her warden this was just how water that was exposed to the Isles' corruption looked like and there wasn't actually anything _wrong_ with it beyond the unsettling aura it might give off.

As she sank down into the steaming tub, Evaine let out a satisfied and blissful sigh as the stiffness in her body caused by sleep was swept away. Back in Noxus, she'd always been one who loved taking long, relaxing baths whenever she had the chance, and here on the Isles that was no different. The water here was just as relaxing and warm as it was back-...

Out of nowhere, Evaine felt herself take a pause, her mind leaving the soothing warmth of the tub behind as she realized just what it was she had just thought.

Noxus... she kept thinking of it as _Noxus_... not what it should be... she should be thinking about as _home..._ right? The place where she belonged? The place she wanted to... return to...

She wanted to go back _home..._ right...?

Noxus _was_ still her _home..._ right...?

What else could she do...? _Where_ else could she go...?

Once again, without her even realizing it, Evaine let her fingers land upon the chained designs of her choker. Green whisps of magic came to meet her venturing digits once they laid upon her neck, encircling her fingers like smoking serpents.

She couldn't _stay_ here... with Thresh... _could she...?_

Thankfully, the rhythmic pounding upon the door leading to her bath shook Evaine out of her thoughts and her hand made a splash in the water as she pulled it away from her neck, her head whipping towards the noise.

"What is it?" she called out to whoever the knocker was in what she hoped was a stable voice as her heartbeat slowly returned to normal, the lack of any tugging on her soul eliminating the possibility of it being Thresh himself.

The reply she got back was one she'd become used to hearing every couple of days since coming to the Shadow Isles; a long, almost tired moan that belonged to the unique, broken spirit that Thresh sent to change her bedding. It was one of the few corporeal ones he had created, as far as she understood, and this one in particular was apparently born from the twisted soul of a woman who had once been a maid, with some of her talents carrying over into the spirit form she was now condemned into.

Evaine took the arrival of the spirit as a sign that she should start cleaning herself properly so that she may meet with Thresh. Her reason for wanting to meet him, though, was a shallow one, even she could admit that; she just wanted to be near the warden right now. She _wanted_ to feel the tug in her soul that she felt when he was close to her. To feel the sense of almost safety that he'd always provided her with since he took her in. There wasn't more to it than that right now. She didn't feel like she needed any more reasons right now.

Releasing a sigh from between her soft lips, her body once again relaxing in the dark waters, Evaine reached for the soap that laid by the edge of the large tub, sitting up a bit straighter before she finally began ridding herself of any lingering dirt clinging to her body.

XXX

A peace seemed to have settled over the Isles over the last few days and the absence of the almost permanent shrieks of terror or pain that echoed from within the forests and bogs made Thresh harden his still human features into a displeased scowl. He'd been a resident of the Shadow Isles for long enough to have picked up on the fact that the only time they seemingly calmed down was when there was trouble brewing upon them. A calm before the inevitable storm.

Now, this wasn't something that usually worried, or even mattered to the chain warden, but for once he actually didn't know just what the _storm_ was. As much as he disliked him and his rule, Mordekaiser had warned of nothing the last time Thresh met up with him–after the master of metal had spent an eternity complaining about his lack of respect, of course–a mere few hours ago, and none of the other denizens of the Isles had said anything either. All Evelynn and Elise had mentioned was how annoyed they were about him staying within his fortress nowadays, and both Yorick, Kalista, and Hecarim had remained clueless to what he had even been referring to. The only one he hadn't spoken to about the subject was Karthus, the deathsinger, but not even an impending disaster could force Thresh to willingly seek the undead mage out for answers–and, by proxy, a far too long spiel about how death freed everyone and how he shouldn't toy with those who no longer lived. He didn't have the patience to suffer through _both_ Mordekaiser's and the deathsinger's rants about his torturous behavior in one day.

Still, though, Thresh felt his grip upon the stone railing crowning the terrace outside his own personal room in his fortress tighten significantly, his sharp, emerald eyes–dimly glowing in the dark of the night—gazing down upon the dark, undead forests that covered the Isles. He hated not knowing what was on the horizon, he hated being unprepared, and he especially hated having to wait for trouble to come to him instead of being able to seek it out. He'd even sought out the maiden of the black mist herself to ask her about it, yet not even someone as linked to the Isles as she hadn't been able to tell him anything he didn't already know.

The brushings of a gentle breeze caused the warden's deathly pale hair to move ever so slightly, the loose strands not confined to his braids tickling his ashen skin. So far, he'd only kept his human guise on when around Evaine, letting it drop as soon as he went to do something else, but after what he'd done last night he'd decided to don the appearance the moment he returned from his meetings with the other inhabitants of the Isles, even whilst Evaine continued to sleep peacefully. He didn't feel any compulsion to remove it for once, at least not until he had to do something that required him being seen by someone other than his _ward_.

What only made the situation worse was that Thresh really didn't want to feel this sense of trepidation today. Last night had been a night of accomplishments and he wanted to almost celebrate what had transpired, or at least feel good about it. Evaine was firmly in his grasp now, that first kiss they'd shared yesterday had been the act that sealed her fate, and while it had taken a little longer than he'd originally wanted, it was still a very pleasing outcome. One that was worthy of a satisfied, almost _happy_ mood. But no, he wasn't able to feel that now. Not when there was something out there that might be threatening _his_ home.

 _'Maybe a meeting with that preaching coir singer is worth it after all...'_ he thought heavily as his gaze hardened even further, his attention returning to the matter of the Isles' state once more rather than the beautiful mage he presumed was still sleeping a few floors below him.

So focused on his thoughts was Thresh at the moment that he didn't even notice the figure gazing at him from the door leading to his room, honeyed eyes taking in his clearly unamused visage for a moment, as well as the cracks that had formed beneath where his gauntletted hands gripped the railing, before the owner of said eyes silently departed.

Unknown to the both of them, however, was that there was another watching them at the moment; their lithe form concealed in the shadows behind a veil of magic that kept them hidden even whilst inside the warden's heavily enchanted fortress, the only sign of them even being there in the first place being the narrowing of a pair of glowing red eyes as a fanged smile gleamed in the dim lights.

XXX

As much as she wanted to be with him at the moment, Evaine just hadn't been able bring herself to announce her presence when she'd seen the scowl that had been stretched across those features that she normally found so captivating and attractive. Thresh had been, and most likely still was, in a _bad_ mood, something she hadn't truly seen since he'd driven away Elise that one time some time ago. Never before had his eyes, so sharp and brilliant in her mind, been this hard and cold, despite what his reputation had made her believe before. Something was truly bothering him. Agnering him even.

With swift steps she strode through the dimly lit hallways of the mansion-esque fortress, relying on muscle memory to guide her to the kitchens so that she may get some food, her mind occupied with thoughts about the warden. She'd been too focused on wanting to meet him before to notice it, but she really was starving right now. Evaine wasn't completely sure for how long she'd been asleep—or passed out—for after Thresh had tended to her yesterday, but with how often the pangs of hunger bit into her stomach she mused that it must have been long enough for her to have missed at least two meals. Time was frustrating like that on the Shadow Isles.

It wasn't before she reached the 'Throne room of welcoming', as Thresh liked to call the hall that the former owner had used to greet guests in, that Evaine's reverie was broken, though the _breaking_ itself wasn't what she would exactly refer to as _nice._

Without warning, the chilling sound of a distinctly female laugh echoed forth from what seemed like everywhere in the large hall, the sinister nature of it only amplified as it bounced around upon the smooth walls. Evaine froze mid step the moment she heard it, one of her hands instinctively groping for a staff that wasn't there as she prepared her magic. An unsettling aura had already settled over the mostly empty room, the temperature itself seemingly dropping by several degrees.

From the shadows behind the stone throne 'crowning' the room stepped a slender figure, their steps echoing around the room just like their laugh had just seconds earlier, and a gaze as red as blood focused in on the deceiver.

Evaine said nothing as the figure continued to approach, though her eyes stayed locked with theirs the whole time. This wasn't like when Thresh had first captured her, she wasn't restrained nor was her connection to her magic tampered with. Without her staff as a catalyst to channel her spells she might not be at full power, but still the mage felt sure that she could deal with whoever this _intruder_ turned out to be. She wasn't _afraid_ this time.

As the newcomer closed the distance between them further and further, they stepped into the light of one of the torches lining the walls of the hall, the flames finally burning away any shadows that concealed them. Eyes widening slightly in recognition, Evaine could now watch as the curvy and inhumanly blue form of Evelynn, the famed widowmaker, sauntered towards her, wide hips swinging from side to side with every step she took.

"Well _helloooo_ there, Leblanc~," she sang sultrily, her dangerously smooth tone and the low clinging of the dark violet ribbons hanging from her lean arms joining with her echoed steps. "What a surprise that I would find _you_ all the way out here, on the Shadow Isles of all places. Does dear Thresh know that he's got a _visitor_ in his fancy mansion?"

While her lips where upturned in an alluring smile that would without a doubt cause even the most zealous and devout abstainer to come running after her like an animal in heat, Evaine didn't so much as blink. Seduction and intimidation was just as much _her_ game as it was Evelynn's, and she had no intention of losing.

"I could ask you the same thing, Evelynn. It looked like you were _hiding_ over there, behind the throne after all," Evaine replied without missing a beat, her honey gold eyes remaining fixed on the widowmaker's.

"Oh don't you worry your pretty little head about me~," Evelynn cooed condescendingly as she finally stopped her approach; letting just a few meters remain in between them. "Thresh is quite _familiar_ with my preferred method of entering his home," she continued with a hand resting lazily on her hip in akimbo, only helping to accentuate the sexy figure she struck with her immodest choice in attire–her outfit rivaling even Evaine's own old one in terms of how much skin it shamelessly showed.

While the deceiver's outward expression didn't falter in the slightest at Evelynn's words, on the inside she was feeling an emotion that she hadn't felt in what had to have been _years._

Jealousy.

The implications that Evelynn's words carried, about what she and Thresh might have _done_ and just how many times they might have done it for him to become _familiar_ with the widowmaker, was not something Evaine wanted to think about, but with how tense the atmosphere in the room already was, her mind refused to listen to her and dived headlong into the subject anyways. Within her minds eye, images of the warden's strong body intertwined with Evelynn's flashed on repeat, and Evaine had to force herself to hold back the snarl that wanted to make its way from in between her lips. Thinking about Thresh doing _that_ with someone else was making her feel almost possessive of the spectre, regardless of how ridiculous even _she_ could tell it was. She had truly never been a jealous person by nature—the many people she'd shared a bed with in the past had merely been means to an end and she'd never connected enough with them to actually feel _anything_ when either she or they left–but with Thresh things were... _different._ So different in fact, that the black abyss of jealousy that had evaded her so long settled in the pit her stomach when her focus returned to staring down the widowmaker.

"Also, you didn't answer my question earlier. Just what are you doing here, Leblanc?" Evelynn purred after a while, figuring that she most likely wouldn't get a response to that last comment from the way the fire in Evaine's eyes suddenly increased in intensity. It might have been just a small detail to someone not as _experienced_ as she, but to the widowmaker that tiny, almost miniscule change in Evaine's image spoke volumes about what was really going on here. Though, it wasn't like she didn't already know. She'd been watching both the deceiver and _her_ warden for a while now.

"What makes you believe I am under any obligation to tell you about my business here?" Evaine snapped back with just a bit too much venom in her voice to go unnoticed by Evelynn–whose sultry smile only widened.

"No need to get hostile, Blancy~," the widowmaker started, one of her hands slipping behind her back to begin preparing for what was about to come. "I was just curious, that's all. Our dear Thresh rarely gets many visitors, you see, so when one does show up I can't help but wonder just what their reasons for wanting to meet such a _madman_ could be."

Evaine had just enough time to part her lips to speak up before a loud clanging noise sounded from just behind her and her head whipped towards it. One of the torches lining the walls had fallen to the ground, metal holder and all, and the deceiver was just about to question what had caused it fall so suddenly when she felt a powerful force slam into her chest and both her hands were seized in an iron-like grip. Before she could comprehend what was going on, the cold, hard stone of the floor met the back of her head, followed by her shoulder blades and the rest of her body, and any thoughts Evaine might have had were harshly interrupted as pain lanced throughout her skull and her eyes closed instinctively. It was only when a weight settled on top of her that her shaken mind began to fathom just what had happened, and, sure enough, when the unnerving sound of Evelynn's sadistic laughter met her ears, Evaine's suspicions were proven correct.

One golden eye opened to the sight of the widowmaker almost straddling her, her powerful hands keeping Evaine's own locked above her head.

"My oh my, it seems I caught myself a little spy," Evelynn growled, the sultry and seductive tone her voice had carried a mere minute earlier having been replaced with one that screamed one thing and one thing only: _Danger._ "Though, at the moment I really don't think the title is befitting of you, Leblanc," she continued, another sharp pang of pain shooting through Evaine's body as she felt _something_ be placed on her hands, any connection to her magic being cut off just like it had when she had been in Thresh's chains, and she began to feel strength begin to be sapped from her body. "I think _bitch_ suits you much better, if I may say so myself. Did you really think you were going to fool anybody with that oblivious act of yours when you have that collar around your neck? If so, you really are one stupid, naive _bimbo._ It's not exactly what you'd call your everyday piece of jewelry—especially not to us living on these Isles who can detect most magic from a mile away. _Like me..._ "

Evaine wanted to say something, _anything_ to get Evelynn to get off of her–and to refute her claims—but she never got the chance as the vampiress put one of her hands over her mouth with enough force to force Evaine's head to slam back onto the floor again.

"You know, when Elise first told me Thresh had taken you into his _care_ I almost didn't believe her at first, or at least not her claim about how he _hadn't_ tortured you to insanity yet. It sounded so unlike the Thresh I've come to know over these past several years," Evelynn hissed next to Evaine's ear, her hot breath on the nape of her exposed neck making the deceiver shudder. There was venom in her voice now. _Deadly_ venom. "But then... then he stopped coming out to our _meetings_. I knew he was still on the Isles, I could feel his aura resonating from inside here–and even if I couldn't, the regular screams confirmed that he hadn't left—yet he didn't come out to me and Elise when we called for him, like he always has before. I didn't understand it. But now I do. And now I also know _why_..."

Lightly, the blue skinned woman's clawed fingers ran over her cheek and down her neck, Evaine shuddering once more at the sensation, over one of the ridges of soul shackle around her neck, until the fingers finally stopped when they hovered over her jugular vein—hidden behind the magical, ornate choker.

This wasn't like when Thresh had first touched her—when he had gently cupped her cheek—this felt far more _sinister_ innature. The sharpness of Evelynn's claws was enough to almost pierce her skin and cause small trickles of her lifeblood to seep out, but the force necessary to do so wasn't there. _Yet._

And, as things stood, Evaine couldn't do anything to stop whatever it was the widowmaker was planning on doing to her. Which scared her. Just like it had with Thresh.

All the while these thoughts swam around her head, Evelynn had some thoughts of her own that had been nagging at her ever since she laid eyes on Evaine.

 _'I want to kill you... I want to kill you **soooo** badly... I want to slit your throat and watch as you gasp for air, drowning in your own blood, until the light in those eyes of yours finally goes out... but I won't. Not yet...' _she thought darkly, forcing restraint on herself lest she did something she might regret later. Right now, she wanted to keep Evaine alive for a bit longer. She had some more things she felt needed to be said. Needed to be _explained._

When Evelynn spoke up again, she wasn't able to keep the small shakiness caused by her ever increasing anger from her voice, but she didn't let it stop her. Her sultry, seductive persona had been dropped for the first time in a long while.

" _You're_ the reason Thresh doesn't come out to meet with us. It's _your_ fault he stayed here last night, locked up in his fortress, not leaving until a few hours ago. It's because of _you_ that he ignored both Elise's and my summons. _You_ stole him from us. From _me_!"

Even whilst still having her head forced against the floor, Evaine's eyes widened in surprise and confusion at Evelynn's words, a detail the widowmaker didn't miss as she gazed down at the mage with hatred burning in the crimson depths of her eyes.

"And now I want him back..."

It would be so easy for her to break the deceiver's neck in this position, all it would take was a little force and then **snap** ; no more Evaine. But Evelynn held herself back—again—and forced her voice to become as quiet as a whisper, leaning down over Evaine—both of their sizable chests pushing up against one another's—so that her dark blue lips almost brushed against the other woman's ear, all the while a magical seal formed in her free hand that caused the choker around Evaine's neck to fall to the floor with a soft **clink** , causing the former owner of the ornament to take a sharp intake of breath as she felt like _something_ seemingly _left_ her body.

"Thresh is mine..." Evelynn began to whisper, " _All_ mine... he's brought me pleasure the likes of which no mortal ever has... just being near him makes me feel intoxicated... he's the only one who's seen what's at the very bottom of my heart and what is written on my soul... I'm addicted to him—to his touch—to his _presence_... and after I kill you, no one is going to take him away from me again... _ever..._ " with those words uttered, Evelynn finally felt ready. Her magic-suppressing seals—ones she'd learned from watching Thresh himself in fact—were keeping Evaine immobilized and unable to escape, giving her all the time in the world to make sure the deceiver met her end as painfully and slowly as possible, and the fear inducing and amplifying seals she'd developed herself made sure she'd be able to enjoy this as much as possible.

From Evaine's ear, Evelynn let her lips travel downward; brushing them against the Noxian's pale cheek, down to her chin, and finally down her trembling neck. Laid before the blue skinned vampiress was Evaine's jugular vein—the same one she'd pushed her sharp claws against only minutes before—and the blood she could _feel_ flowing inside it made Evelynn almost growl like a hungry beast that had just spotted its helpless pray. Parting her soft lips, she let her moist tongue venture out and trace a path all along the alluring vein, starting from the nape of the neck and going all the way up to the edge of Evaine's chin—a trail of saliva glistening in its wake. Despite herself, Evelynn could feel her body begin to heat up in excitement—the only thing keeping her from practically grinding against where she was straddling Evaine's waist being the identity of who she was seated on top off. The exhilarating rush that came with taking her time draining a victim always made her aroused, but she wouldn't let herself embrace the feeling like she usually did. Not when her victim was the _whore_ who'd taken Thresh away from her for so long.

No, arousal and excitement could come later, when she and Thresh made up for all this lost time, but for now Evelynn knew she had something maybe even _more_ satisfying she needed to take care off.

Sharp, pearly white fangs extended—practically dripping with vampiric venom—and Evelynn smiled one last time as she slowly closed her mouth around Evaine's neck; the deceiver struggling in vain against her much stronger grip.

"Say good night, _thief_..."

 _'IDON'TWANTTODIEIDON'TWANTTODIEIDON'TWANTTODIEIDON'TWANTTODIE!'_ repeated over and over again in Evaine's head, panic flooding every one of her senses thanks to Evelynn's seals—though even without them she would still have been scared at the prospect of being sucked dry by the widowmaker. Terror was not an emotion that the deceiver was familiar with, the only ones having been able to conjure it within her in the past being Swain and, more recently, Thresh, but now her brain was being blasted with it from all directions. As a spy mistress, she'd gone through years of training to purge any fear she might feel on a mission from her mind, but in truth, she'd only been able to hide it. Everyone felt fear at some point, Evaine understood that after a while, and she'd learned to burrow that fear whenever she took on a new roll for the Black Rose; risking her life for the sake of intel or getting close to someone powerful. Fear was a natural response, and no amount of conditioning could rip it out of someone's mind fully. However, just like she'd learned to, it could be hidden so well that not even the one hiding it might realize it's even there. The downside with that, though, was when fear was once again recognized by the mind, the response to it was more often than not harsher than ever.

And it didn't really help to have seals around wrists one's that increased the severity of said fear even further; transforming it into pure, unadulterated terror.

Like what Evaine was forced to endure at this very moment. Though, it was even worse thanks to the feeling of loss she'd felt inside herself ever since the choker she'd begun to find so comforting was removed from around her neck.

She wanted to scream, even if she didn't know for whom, but with Evelynn's hand still forced over her mouth she could only let out whimpers of freight that were wholly unbecoming of someone as powerful as her. She could feel something hot dripping down onto her now completely exposed neck, mixing with the cooling saliva already there, and when the widowmaker's even hotter breath hit her flesh, heralding the fangs that would lodge into her throat in mere moments, Evaine couldn't resist the urge to do something she hadn't done for real ever since she joined the Black Rose so many years ago. Though, that was only partly true. Because she'd also done it the night before, even if it was short lived.

Evaine cried.

Tears pooled and streamed down from the corner of her eyes as she laid underneath Evelynn's oppressive weight—the droplets falling soundlessly to the stone floor.

Or at least it was soundless to the two of them. For another, on the other hand, it was like thunder rumbling within the heavens.

The sound of rattling chains was the only warning that Evelynn got before she felt the chilling metal of a scythe blade lock around her bare midsection. Then, suddenly, the distance between her fangs and Evaine's neck, that had been a mere millimeter a second ago, widened immensely and she was torn from her seat at a frightening speed. She didn't even have time to exclaim her surprise at what was happening before a cold, iron gauntlet grasped her neck in a bone crushing grip and she was smashed into one of the stone walls of the giant hall with a force strong enough to create a spiderweb of cracks in the stonework. Had she not been a vampire, Evelynn was sure the impact would have killed her, but even if she remained alive, that didn't stop the immense pain that immediately flooded her body. She gasped for air instinctively as she flailed uselessly in the grip of whoever it was that had caught her, but the grip around her neck was too strong, so any sounds that she wanted to make transformed into distorted gargles of pain.

It wasn't until the dust that had formed from her slam into the wall had settled and the shock to her system had passed somewhat that Evelynn realized just who it was that was choking her with such crushing might. Though, she understood now that she should have figured it out sooner.

Covering her entire view was a face that Evelynn had never seen before, with sharp features that were twisted in silent rage, but still she knew exactly who it was that was presented before her. All she had to do was look into those searing jade depths that made up this person's eyes and any doubt about who the identity of this was was blown away like the wind.

Despite his features looking human, Evelynn knew it was Thresh that she was faced eye to eye with at this very moment.

And he was absolutely livid.

" _Just what the **hell** do you think you are doing to my **ward** , Evelynn...?" _Thresh growled lowly, his voice still recognizable to her without the dual toned echo she was used to, as he tightened his grip on the widowmaker's throat even further, the strength of his grip far exceeding that which would have been needed to render a normal human's windpipe nothing but crushed bones and mangled flesh. He knew he couldn't kill her by merely choking her out—undeads needed no air to live after all—but that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy watching the vampire suffer from the pain his mere grip caused her.

It was now Evelynn's turn to feel panic race throughout her body, her hands still trying in vain to lessen Thresh's viscous hold on her neck, but thankfully for her she got a small moment of reprieve as the warden's grip loosened enough for her to take a short, shaky breath. It seemed he had realized she wouldn't be able to answer without access to air.

"T-Thresh!" she gasped out almost desperately when the reaper's grip began to tighten again.

" _You know damn well that you never touch what belongs to me, and that includes **her**..." _ Thresh continued as if Evelynn hadn't just said something. " _So I'll ask you again; What. The hell. Do you think. You are doing...?"_

"S-she's just a human-!" Evelynn managed to choke out before her ability to breathe was once again stripped from her, her eyes beginning to water from the pain originating from her neck and back.

When here eyes focused once again, though, she was met with a truly nightmarish sight. Inches away from her own face, Thresh's visage began to tear away. Skin smouldered as green flames erupted underneath it, the white of his eyes slowly melting away, and the warden's very bones seemed to twist and contort until, suddenly, an inferno of spectral fire ripped through all that remained of his once ashen features with a roar and the skull mask that Evelynn was so familiar with met her once more.

Had the widowmaker still had the ability to swallow, she would have done so at the sight of just how absolutely _livid_ Thresh looked, his anger somehow becoming even more amplified by his skull's limited range of emotions. Now, when he spoke, it was with the ghostly echo that Evelynn had heard countless times before, though the familiarity she had with it did nothing to lessen it's ability to shake her very _soul_ as he pushed her even harder into he wall behind her _._

" _That's where you're wrong, Evelynn. Even if she was a mere human, I still wouldn't allow anyone to touch her, but she's more than that. She's my_ _ **ward**_ _,_ _someone I've taken into my care,_ _and you will pay_ _ **dearly**_ _for hurting her..."_

Once again, Evelynn heard the rattling of chains and she could only whimper in fear as she felt five cold, metallic, and _very_ sharp points settle against her abdomen. There were very few things on Runeterra that she truly feared, being the practically immortal vampire that she was, but Thresh, when as angry as he was now, was one of them. While age and most wounds would never claim her, Evelynn knew the warden, with his special _expertise,_ was a completely different matter. He did what could actually kill her just for _fun._

" _You should have followed my rules, vampire. **Never** touch what is mine..."_

Those were the last words Evelynn heard before a numbing cold, the likes of which she'd never felt before, settled over her entire body, draining each and every single ounce of strength that remained in her muscles. Her mind filled with nothing but static and she couldn't even feel any pain. All she felt was cold. And empty. Completely hollow.

Evaine couldn't help but watch in morbid fascination as a green glow, even more brilliant than that of the flames enveloping Thresh's skull, settled over both the warden and the widowmaker. From her position on the floor behind them, she couldn't completely make out what it was that was giving off the radiant shine, but she could tell it now originated from the hand Thresh and placed on Evelynn's bare stomach and that it seemed to distort and flicker every few moments—like a candle that has begun struggling to stay alight.

Slowly, she gathered her bearings and groggily climbed up off the floor, carefully standing up while holding one of her hands to the back of her head—pain still shooting from where she'd hit the floor. Her vision swam a little and her balance was wobbly, but after a moment Evaine felt the curiosity take the better of her and she began to approach Thresh's broad back. Sometime during the struggle with Evelynn, her shoes had fallen of her feet, so her footfalls were almost silent as she came to stand at the warden's side, her eyes widening and her mouth actually falling open slightly as she was finally able to see just what the source of that green glow was.

In—or more accurately; _on_ Thresh's gauntleted hand floated a brilliant, emerald orb, no bigger than her own fist, with a thin, ethereal trail connecting it to Evelynn's now limp body. It actually took Evaine a moment before she figured out just what the whispy orb was, but when she did, a sense of dread settled over her. She was looking down at the widowmaker's actual _soul._

No theatrics, no smoke and mirrors, and no magic to hide the truth, she was truly staring right at a person's very _being_ ; their _everything._ Memories, feelings, even thoughts—every single thing that made Evelynn _Evelynn_ was just a few inches away from her. Close enough to touch.

Evaine was speechless.

Thresh, however, was not.

"You brought this on yourself, Evelynn," he sneered at the soul in his grasp, only now letting go of the vampiress' throat; letting her unmoving form crumple unceremoniously on the floor, the tether still keeping the soul attached to the body flickering from the movement. "All you had to do was not concern yourself with my business and we'd have no problems you and I, but you just _had_ to sneak in a try to take away one of my _things._ And even after all that trouble, I can't even kill you... such a shame..."

That got the deceiver's attention, her unfocused, golden eyes lifting to the spectre's infernal visage.

"What do you mean, Thresh? You're holding her soul in your hand, aren't you? You've already killed her," Evaine half questioned, half stated with a wince, letting one of her hands settle on one of the warden's broad shoulders for stability as a wave of dizziness hit her.

At her words, Thresh sent a glance down at the deceiver, his glare softening just the tiniest bit when he looked at her rather than the soul in his grasp; though his anger towards Evelynn didn't abate for even a second. Not when he was able to see just what she'd done to _his_ Evaine.

"While I can understand why you'd think so, I'm afraid you're not entirely correct, my dear," he said after a moment, turning his searing gaze back to Evelynn's soul. "As long as the tether you see connecting the soul vessel and her body, the being known as Evelynn will continue to exist. And even then, some parts of what makes her _her_ will remain even if I were to break this connection. They would just be far more confused and unfocused thanks to the lack of a body housing her soul. Her body itself, on the other hand, will be fine after a while, it will just be devoid of any thought, emotion, or purpose; just a sad husk wandering aimlessly until it eventually decays."

Had the widowmaker not attacked her no more than 15 minutes ago, Evaine suspected she'd be rather unnerved by the almost wistful way Thresh was talking about what had to be one of the most horrific things that could ever happen to someone.

"Usually I torture the body of my victim until the soul cannot bear to to stay in it any longer—making them seek out just about anything that isn't the agony I've put them through—but in Evelynn here's case I simply chose to rip her soul right out of her, leaving her body intact. Mostly," the warden continued unhindered. "Nothing would make me happier than to spend hours showing our lovely widowmaker just how much pain I can make a vessel-less soul experience for what she's done, but I sadly can't do that. Mordekaiser won't allow one of the few remaining 'founders' of the Isles to disappear into the black mist, and I really do not have the patience to sit through any more of his arduous lectures for the next century or so. All I'm doing now is giving dear Evelynn a taste of what's to come if she ever does something like _that_ again until a certain _someone_ arrives to take care of her. Speaking of which..."

As if on cue, the large wooden doors leading out to the main courtyard of Thresh's fortress slowly creaked open, letting a chilling wind flow in through the crack, making both the torches on the walls flicker and forcing a shudder pass up Evaine's spine. Through the newly opened door stepped a tall, slender, dancer-esque figure with an inhumanly pale complexion, clad in what looked like a black, almost chitinous dress. It was someone Evaine hadn't personally met very often, but she still knew there was no mistaking them.

Though, even then, she'd never seen them with an expression like this one.

Elise's face was contorted in what almost looked like worry as she quickly stepped through the large doors, her eyes scanning the room in an instant before settling on Evelynn's seemingly lifeless form. The widowmaker hadn't outright told her about any of her plans, but Elise still figured that whatever they were, they wouldn't end well, and when her spiderlings had reported seeing her sneak into Thresh's home, the spider queen was sure that was bound to happen.

"Took you long enough." She heard Thresh snort as he turned to face her and when she laid eyes on the orb in his hand she immediately understood what had happened.

"Is she still alive?" she asked as she continued to close the distance between them, intentionally avoiding looking at Evaine—she knew she was still on thin ice when it came to the deceiver. She was pretty sure she already knew the answer to her question, but in cases like this there really wasn't anything that qualified as being _too_ careful.

"Elise, dear, that is stupid question and we both know it. I know you can see the soul tether and I really am in no mood to answer what is already obvious. Just come get her body and then leave, I have other matters to attend to," Thresh replied in a tone that Elise knew was deadly serious.

She wasted no time morphing into her spider form, easily lifting Evelynn's limp body onto her back using her front legs—securing her place with some webbing—while being careful not to move around too much as Thresh let go of the widowmaker's soul. If the tether broke, that would be the end. No force on Runeterra would be able to usher some semblance of actual _life_ back into the vampiress' corpse.

As she left, Elise let out a few clicks of apology on Evelynn's behalf before closing the heavy wood doors behind her and setting off in search of Karthus. She wasn't at all looking forward to convincing the deathsinger to pull someone _back_ from the brink of death, but it was either that or seek out Lamb and Wolf for help, and between the two, Elise would always choose the option that carried the less life threatening confrontation.

As the echoing **clack** of the front doors closing resonated around the two of them, Thresh let out a frustrated growl, making Evaine let go of his shoulder and back up slightly. If she had thought he was in a bad mood before, this was making that earlier anger seem like slight annoyance. The warden was practically radiating rage at the moment, even if his outward countenance didn't _look_ much angrier than normal, but to someone like Evaine, who'd learned a lot about his moods and what they looked like, it was clear that Thresh was in as foul a mood as someone could be.

"Where did she hurt you?" he asked eventually, finally meeting the deceiver's gaze.

Evaine said nothing at first, frozen in place by the look of—what she couldn't really call anything but— _concern_ shining behind the anger within the holes of Thresh's skull mask that served as his eyes. She seen many emotions swirl inside those emerald depths, ranging from humor, to anger, to disgust, but she'd never witnessed _this_ before. She was sure Thresh cared about her, but she didn't think he'd allow it to show this openly.

It seemed it took to long for her to answer his question, because when Evaine was finally pulled out of her trance, Thresh was standing not a foot away from her.

"Evaine, answer me, please; where did Evelynn hurt you?" he asked once more, his voice almost softer this time, even if the anger in the back of his eyes didn't drain, as he brought his right hand up to cup her cheek.

Evaine took solace in the cold metal caressing her cheek, leaning into the touch instinctively. "I'm fine, Thresh," she replied eventually, though she doubted the spectre would buy it.

"I didn't ask that, my dear, I asked where she hurt you. I want to determine whether or not you need healing myself," he sighed when she dodged the question, making Evaine herself sight too when she realized there was no way he'd drop this.

Wordlessly, she bowed her head to show where she'd taken the brunt of the damage, feeling Thresh's intensive gaze roam all over the back of her head even if she couldn't see it herself. For what felt like an eternity she stood like that, letting him inspect each and every inch of skin on her neck and head, until finally she heard him grunt something and she raised back up.

"It doesn't seem like you damaged anything severely, though I suspect that you've suffered a concussion. I want you to head back to your room and rest until I'm certain you're back to full health once more," Evaine parted her lips to protest and reiterate that she felt fine, but she wasn't allowed as Thresh continued on without pause, "And that is not a request, it's an order. I will get you something to eat while you return to your room. Have I made myself clear?"

Not since she was a little girl had Evaine let herself be ordered around like this, not even by Swain, but from the look in Thresh's eyes she knew that arguing with him at this point would _not_ end well for her, so she conceded with a heavy sigh. Though, before the spectre could turn around fully to walk away from her, she said something that surprised even herself.

"Only if you come with me..."

It was now Thresh's turn to freeze, his body slowly turning back to the deceiver with one of his skeletal eyebrows raised in question. He could tell that she hadn't exactly intended to say that from the shocked expression on her face, but after just a moment it fell away to reveal a more serious one instead.

Instead of answering him in words, Evaine made sure Thresh's eyes stayed on her as she looked back at where she'd been ambushed by Evelynn before heading over to the spot and kneeling down to grab something. Just holding in the object made a sense of comfort settle over her that had gone missing these past 20 minutes or so, and she continued to remain silent as she brought the object up to her neck, placing it back to what she now considered its _true_ place.

Instantly, Evaine could feel a familiar tugging in her chest as she trailed her fingers over the choker that served as her soul shackle to Thresh. She was glad Evelynn hadn't damaged it when she forcibly removed it, and now that it was once again settled around her neck she felt... safer. Thresh would always be able to find her now, just like it _should_ be.

The sudden establishment of a connection again was a bit of a surprise to the warden, the surge of thoughts and emotions he could feel coming from Evaine taking a moment to settle in, but when they did, he could once again read them as clearly as ever. It had been the loss of this connection that had made him begin searching for the deceiver in the first place, making him almost become worried all the work he'd done to influence her was for naught if she'd escaped, but then he'd come across the sight of Evelynn on top of _his_ ward and realization had set in. At least until it became overshadowed by rage. Now the connection was back, though, and the unspoken words that Evaine let willingly float through it made their way into his mind.

" _I don't want to be alone..."_

" _I want you with me..."_

" _Thank you for saving me..."_

" _Please stay..."_

Just like he'd done so many times before, Thresh let the spectral chain that bound Evaine's soul to him settled in his hand, the appearance of it making a soft, albeit tired smile break out across her beautiful face. It was a smile that once again reminded the spectre of someone, of the person that Evaine bore the features of, but he didn't mind it. Whoever this woman was didn't matter right now, nor did the future of the Isles. Right now, his _ward_ was what mattered. He'd molded her in the most delightful ways, after all.

With a mental command to one of the spirits he kept around as slaves, Thresh picked Evaine up into his arms, just like he'd done when he'd first captured her, and the tiredness that begun to settle over her body was evident as she quickly relaxed in his grasp—the spectral chain binding her still in his hand.

He carried her back to her room without a word spoken between them and helped her strip out of her dress down to her underwear as efficiently as possible, only taking a few moments to admire her, in his eyes, flawless beauty.

She might have woken up not too long ago, but with the dizziness that still gripped her and the draining nature the magic that had assaulted her before had, Evaine didn't protest when Thresh laid her down on her newly changed bedsheets.

With a wave of his hand, the room darkened around them, the only light now coming from the warden's own burning skull, but even it soon died out, replaced by two dimly glowing emerald eyes instead, surround by an ash gray face that Evaine had come to miss seeing in front of her. He settled down in the chair he'd already placed by her bedside before and the deceiver felt comfortable once again. Her appearance flickered slightly, her honey gold eyes switching to violet for just a second, before sleep embraced her.

Through the soul shackle, on last thought—one last emotion—passed, without her knowledge, and the appearance of it made Thresh smile in her dark. It wasn't a cruel smile, merely a satisfied one.

One that he smiled when he got results he liked.

 **A/N: I'm pretty happy with how this turned out in the end. I don't think everyone will think my portrayal of Thresh in this one is "correct", but it's how I enjoyed writing him as, even if some people might call it soft. Hope it was at least a fun read.**

 **Fun trivia: I rewrote the thing about what souls are about eight times before I was happy with it. I just couldn't get the tone and "lore" in it right until after staring angrily at my laptop for 25 minutes.**


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